


Love and Other Curses

by QianLan



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Canon-Typical Violence, Curses, F/F, M/M, Magic-Users, Memory Loss, Minor Leia Organa/Han Solo, Mutual Pining, Prince Finn, Unrequited Love, everyone ships it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-09 19:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11675346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QianLan/pseuds/QianLan
Summary: Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a Prince named Finn…Or the one where the Prince’s Guards are trying to trick Finn and Poe into admitting their feelings for each other; Rey and Jess fall immediately in love and can't stop holding hands; Hux levels a nasty spell or two, and Baze somehow survives being married to Chirrut…There are curses, memory loss, sword fights, and showdowns, and hopefully, true love will save the day.COMPLETE





	1. The Frogs

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fairy tale. So there is magic and monsters and curses and spells, a pining prince and a kingdom in danger, but know that I played fast and loose with some fairy tale conventions and the TFA canon. Then, for good measure, I threw in characters from all over the Star Wars universe.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

 

Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a Prince named Finn.  Finn was gentle and gracious, clever and cunning.  He was wise beyond his years and a thoughtful statesman, too.  He was everything that the people of D’Qar could want in a leader, and all the people of the kingdom adored him. 

 

This shouldn’t have come as a surprise: the King and Queen had been equally adored during their reign, and under them, D’Qar had achieved a level of peace and prosperity none had ever dreamed of.  It was truly a Golden Era.

 

But even in the midst of all of this, there was a sadness to Prince Finn.  His parents had died when he was eight years old, and while he dearly loved the Regent, Lord Skywalker, into whose care he—and his kingdom—had been entrusted, Finn missed his parents. 

 

And with every coming year, he felt the weight of the responsibilities of ruling his kingdom more and more acutely.

 

It wasn’t that Prince Finn wasn’t fit to rule the kingdom.  In reality, since he was a teenager, the Regent had been handing over more and more responsibilities to him, so that now, Finn was the King in all but name.  And Finn was good at ruling, but it was a rather lonely job.

 

Finn remembered the partnership his parents had shared, the way that they had helped each other, and complimented each other.  Watching the two of them work together had been like watching two masters in a complicated dance—it was thrilling to see two bodies so well coordinated that they could have been one. 

 

It was that partnership that he wanted to pattern his own rule on.  Prince Finn desperately wanted to share his life, and his kingdom, with his beloved.

 

And that was his problem. 

 

The Regent would technically rule until Prince Finn’s twenty-fifth year, at which time the Prince would officially become King Finn.  After his coronation, Finn wanted nothing more than to announce the person who would be his consort and rule beside him.

 

But, he couldn’t. 

 

Prince Finn had a secret that he’d been carrying around for years: he knew who he wanted to be his consort (had known since his tenth birthday when a certain someone had been appointed head of the Prince’s Guard), but alas, his beloved didn’t share his feelings.  Finn couldn’t imagine sharing his life with anyone else, but it simply wasn’t meant to be.

 

Finn knew he could rule on his own—he’d still have the support of his people and the Regent, after all.  But this yearning for his love simply wasn’t going away.

 

And as he got closer and closer to his twenty-fifth birthday and his coronation, he became more and more despondent. 

 

Finn felt guilty—for someone who had so much to be upset because one thing was denied to him…  It seemed selfish and immature.

 

And Finn had seen what damage unrequited love could do to a being.  He saw it every day when the Regent didn’t think anyone was watching.

 

Prince Finn didn’t know the details, but he knew that Lord Skywalker had not started out life as an advisor in D’Qar.  Long ago, he’d hailed from the tiny desert kingdom of Tatooine.  Rumors told of adventures with smugglers and swashbucklers and Skywalker’s role in stopping the evil Empire of the North.  Those stories painted Lord Skywalker as a dashing young man with a quick temper and a kind heart, and Finn had often wondered what _that_ Luke Skywalker had been like.

 

Because the man he grew up with was so different—he was still kind and brave, but there was a sadness to the Regent that seemed to cast a shadow over his life, like a cloud that hung around him wherever he went. 

 

Castle gossip said that the Lord’s true love had married another and that that was why Lord Skywalker, one of the most venerated scholars (and if the rumors were to be believed, sorcerers) in all the kingdoms had traveled to D’Qar to serve Finn’s parents. 

 

He was running away from his heart.

 

Prince Finn respected Lord Skywalker, but he did not want to turn out like him.

 

If his love couldn’t love him in return, he had to find a way to fall out of love.  He had to find a way past this.  He didn’t want a cloud hanging over his head for the rest of his life.

 

Which was why, on a cool May evening a few months before his coronation, he was sitting in his study staring at a pile of papers without really seeing them.  He knew if something didn’t change soon, he was facing a lonely future.  So he needed to find a way to harden his heart and stop his foolish pining…

 

“You’re fretting,” Rose said as she crossed through the study.

 

“I’m thinking,” Prince Finn replied without lifting his head from the papers.  He heard her shut the window and pull the curtains.  “And I’m perfectly capable of closing a window, Rose.”

 

She smiled.  “Really?”  She shook her head and walked to his desk.  “Why don’t you talk to him?”

 

“Who?”

 

Rose closed her eyes, trying hard not to roll them at the future King.  “You know who.  The same person you're pining for.”

 

“I’m not pining.  I’m reading.”

 

Rose laughed.  “You’re pining.”

 

“Reading.”

 

Rose snatched the paper from the top of the pile on his desk.  “Then tell me what this is about.”

 

“Well…”  Finn couldn’t remember one word of it.  “Fine, I’m pining.”

 

“See!”  Rose grabbed the Prince’s arm, trying to pull him up.  “Go talk to him!”

 

“It’s not that simple.”  Prince Finn adored Lady Rose.  Her mother had been his mother’s closest friend in all the world, and he and Rose had grown up together.  She was the nearest thing to a little sister he’d ever had.

 

In fact, sometimes, she was a bit too much like a meddling sister for Finn’s taste.  “Rooooose,” he said, trying to squirm out of her grasp.

 

For her part, Rose had heard every imaginable excuse come out of the Prince’s mouth in the last few years.  She’d figured out long ago that the Prince was desperately in love with the head of the Prince’s Guard.  Why he insisted on pretending that the other man didn’t share those feelings was beyond her.

 

“Your highness,” she said.  She only used formalities when she was trying to make a point.  “While you can sit up here and imagine that he’s going to reject you, there’s no way to really know unless you talk to him.”

 

“Talk to who,” asked a voice from the doorway.

 

Finn spun so fast he nearly knocked poor Rose down.

 

“Uh,” Finn said, his eyes wide.  “No one.”

 

Sir Poe Dameron, head of the Prince’s Guard, smiled, his eyes crinkling.  “Ummmm-hmmmmm,” he hummed, clearly not believing the Prince.  He looked to Rose and raised an eyebrow.

 

She looked from Poe to Finn, who was imploring her with his eyes not to say anything.  “No one,” she finally said.  “I was just teasing his royal stuffiness.”

 

Poe laughed and walked in.  “It is stuffy in here.  You should open a window, your highness.”

 

Finn shot a look at Rose, who said, “No, he shouldn’t.  It’s time for dinner and it’s getting cold outside.”

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Finn said.  He looked to Poe.  “Did you need something?”

 

“Only to tell you that the delegation from Alderaan will be arriving the day after tomorrow.  The staff have prepared the south wing for them and my guards are ready.”

 

Finn nodded.

 

“You could look a bit more excited about it,” Poe said.

 

Finn opened his mouth and then shut it.  The delegation from Alderaan consisted of Queen Leia Organa, Prince Consort Han Solo, and their daughter Princess Rey.  Finn had heard many wonderful things about the Princess, but as he suspected that this was an attempt on the part of Alderaan’s royal family to secure an alliance, he was a little less than thrilled that they were coming.

 

On one hand, an alliance with Alderaan could be a smart tactical move and marriage to the Princess might distract him from Poe, but on the other hand, the idea of marrying someone simply for political reasons went against everything Finn’s gut told him a marriage should be.

 

“It can’t be that bad,” Poe said, looking to Rose.

 

“He’s afraid that they’re going to push the Princess on him.”

 

“And?”

 

Finn rolled his eyes.  “And I really don’t want to start that again.”

 

Four years ago, when Finn had turned twenty, the Regent had attempted to jump start the search for a suitable consort.  There had been balls and parties and visitors from all sorts of kingdoms, both near and far—and after six months, the Prince had escaped to an old hunting lodge, refusing to come home until the forced courting stopped.

 

The Regent had promised no more matchmaking.

 

But now, with his twenty-fifth birthday fast approaching, Finn knew that more than one member of his court was worried.

 

Poe’s chuckle pulled Finn from his thoughts.  “I don’t know,” Poe said, taking the Prince’s arm and leading him towards the dining room.  “I thought some of the parties were fun.”  He turned to Rose.  “Remember the masquerade with the animal theme?”

 

Rose laughed.  “Oh my goodness!  I’d forgotten about all of the swans!”

 

Poe howled.  “Every single woman in the kingdom—it was a sea of white feathers!”

 

Rose shook her head.  “The feathers!”

 

Finn smiled.  He’d forgotten about that fiasco.  “The clean-up took forever,” he muttered.

 

“Or the garden party with the frogs,” Rose said.

 

Poe stopped, his eyes getting wide.  “The frogs!”

 

Finn chuckled and nodded.  “It was apparently mating season.”

 

Poe bumped his shoulder into the Prince’s.  “And don’t forget when they started hopping out of the pools.”

 

Finn burst into a wide smile.  Most of those attending the party had started screaming and scattered.  It was a mess.  But then, Poe had come to help the Prince to “safety,” which meant they’d snuck off to the far end of the garden with some stolen pastries and wine.  They’d spent the rest of the afternoon toasting to the frogs.

 

Poe’s eyes were bright as he looked at the Prince.  “See?  It wasn’t all bad.”

 

“Fine.  The frogs were good.  Okay?”

 

“Well,” Poe said, with a quick wink to Rose.  “I promise that if things get too serious with the Princess, I’ll release some frogs into the throne room.”

 

**# # # #**

 

While there were many who would claim that Sir Dameron was the best rider in D’Qar, no one could deny that Lady Jessika Pava had a special gift when it came to horses.  Not only was she a fantastic rider in her own right, but everyone in the castle knew that if your horse went lame or if you had a new horse that needed to be broken in, you should call for her.  She just had a way with horses.

 

And even though she was a lady of noble birth, Jessika preferred to be near the horses—often claiming that she liked them more than people—so she kept a room at the back of the stables.

 

On this night, however, she wasn’t in her room, she was leaning against the stable door, her arms crossed in front of her.  Poe was brushing down his horse, humming with a faraway look in his eyes.  She smiled.  “Thinking of anyone I know?”

 

Poe startled.  “No.”

 

She walked over to pat his horse, Bee, on the muzzle.  “Do you believe him, Bee?”  The horse snorted and Jess cackled.  “Want to try again, Poe?”

 

He sighed.  “His highness and I were just reminiscing about the time with the frogs.”

 

“OOOOOOH,” Jess said, sharing a knowing look with the horse.  “You mean that time when you and the Prince disappeared together for hours and the entire castle thought you’d eloped?”

 

“They did not think—”

 

Jess met Poe’s eyes.  “We were ready to send guards to the cathedral.”

 

“Stars,” Poe muttered, refocusing on his work.

 

“Why don’t you just tell him?”

 

This time it was Poe who snorted.  “Jess, he’s a Prince!  He’s going to be king.  He deserves someone…”  He pointed at her.

 

“Who isn’t interested?”

 

“No,” Poe huffed.  “Someone of noble blood.”

 

Jess rolled her eyes.  “You can’t seriously be using that excuse?”

 

“Why not,” Poe said, hurt clear in his voice.

 

“The Queen’s consort was a farmer before she married him.  If she didn’t need noble blood, why should her son?”

 

“But it’s different with him…”

 

“You aren’t trying to suggest that Finn worries about bloodlines are you, because—”

 

“No!”  Poe stopped brushing Bee.  “But he deserves…Stars, Jess, he deserves so much more than—”

 

“If you finish that thought, Poe, I will hit you.”

 

Poe sighed.  “Fine.”

 

Jess gave Poe a sad smile.  “You might be the partner he’s been waiting for, you know?”

 

Poe resumed brushing Bee’s coat.  “I’m sure that Princess Rey will be a better fit that I’d ever be.”

 

“Oh yes, I’m sure a complete stranger who he’s never met is his perfect match.”

 

Poe shook his head.  “Better than a soldier without two gold coins to his name.”

 

Jess growled, stomping out of the stall.  “You are too stubborn and too stupid for your own good!”

 

“Good night to you too, mi’lady.”

 

“Grrrr,” Jess yelled back at him.  She quickly made her way into the castle to a small room just outside the armory.  There, she found several other members of the Prince’s Guard: Snap, Iolo, Karé, and Bastian.  “Grrrrr,” she growled as she entered, falling into a chair.

 

“And hello to you too, Lady Pava,” Snap said.  Technically, he was Lord Temmin Wexley, but ever since he was a child, members of the court had simply called him Snap. 

 

“What did he do this time,” Sir Iolo Arana asked.

 

Jess shook her head.  “It’s the same thing.”

 

The entire group groaned.

 

“I’m not worthy of the Prince’s love,” Sir Charles Bastian said, in his best impression of Sir Dameron.

 

“Exactly,” Jess said.

 

“We could lock them in a room together,” Lady Karé Kun said.

 

“I’m pretty sure that’s treason,” Snap said.

 

“And,” said a voice from the doorway, “it wouldn’t work.  The Prince is just as bad as Sir Dameron.”  Rose entered and sat in the remaining empty chair.

 

“Kriff,” Snap said.  “What are we going to do with them?”

 

“Hire a sorcerer to give them both a truth potion,” Bastian asked.

 

“Perhaps an idea that doesn’t involve dabbling in the dark arts,” Karé said.

 

“My plan is to sabotage this meeting with the new Princess,” Jess said.

 

“Sabotage,” Rose asked, a smile already playing at her lips.

 

“Yes,” Jess said.  “It’s time for action, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that her meeting with the Prince is disastrous.”

 

“Please tell me we don’t have to find a bunch of frogs again,” Iolo said.  “Last time, I smelled like the swamp for a week.”

 

“It almost worked,” Jess said.

 

“Almost,” Snap said.

 

“I don’t hear any of the rest of you sharing ideas,” Jess said.

 

“I agree with Lady Jess.  We need to do something big.  The pining is getting to be too much,” Rose said.

 

“So, it’s settled,” Jess said.  “When the Princess arrives, we are going to do everything in our power to make sure that her courtship with the Prince goes wrong.”

 

Iolo, Snap, and Karé shared worried looks, even as they heard themselves agreeing to Jess’ ridiculous plan.

 

 


	2. The Birds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How could this plan possibly go awry?

 

 

“Rose is looking for you.”

 

“Hmmmmm,” Finn said, turning around and grinning when he saw Sir Dameron approaching.

 

“I said, Rose is looking for you.  Seems you have a bad habit of wandering off just before dinner every night.”  Poe stood beside the Prince, studying him.  “What’s wrong,” he asked quietly.

 

“Nothing,” Finn said.

 

Poe frowned.  “Your highness, with all due respect, you’ve been…moody the past few days.”

 

Finn looked around the garden, lit only by the occasional torch and light from the windows of the castle.  It was charming and yet, he couldn’t really appreciate it.  _Maybe I am moody_.  “I have a lot to think about,” he finally said.

 

Poe gestured in front of them and Finn started walking.  “Is it the visit or the coronation?”

 

Finn shrugged.  “Both?”

 

Poe nodded.  It broke his heart to see the Prince so unhappy, but he didn’t have any idea how to help, so he kept his mouth shut.

 

Finn shivered in the evening breeze.

 

“Oh,” Poe said, shrugging out of his jacket and offering it to the Prince.

 

“No, Poe, I’m—”

 

“Please,” Poe said, slipping it onto Finn’s shoulders.  “You’re cold.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“I’ll be fine,” he said.  He stepped back and appraised the Prince.  “It suits you,” he said with a smile.

 

Finn smiled in return.  “Yeah?”

 

“Yeah,” Poe said.

 

They stood there, facing each other, in the flickering torchlight, and as Finn stared into the guard’s eyes, he suddenly flashed on a memory of the same garden two years earlier…

 

 

 

 

 

> **_Prince Finn’s Twenty-Second Birthday:_ **
> 
> _“Your highness!”  Voices called out into the darkness.  “Prince Finn!”_
> 
> _“He has to be around here somewhere,” Finn heard one of them say._
> 
> _He closed his eyes.  He knew he should answer them, come out of his hiding place and just go to bed, but he simply wanted a few minutes where he wasn’t Prince Finn, future King of D’Qar, but where he was Finn, the man whose heart had just been broken._
> 
> _He leaned his head back against the statue he was hiding behind and remembered the exchange: Lady Kun drug Sir Dameron out to the loggia next to the ballroom.  They didn’t see Finn in the shadows of the garden just beyond the stone archways, so he silently moved behind a bush, feeling a little guilty about listening, but not guilty enough to actually stop._
> 
> _“So,” Lady Karé asked._
> 
> _“So,” Poe asked back.  “I’m going to need more than that, mi’lady.”_
> 
> _“So, Poe, do you want to explain what was going on in there?”_
> 
> _“Where?  In the ballroom,” Poe sounded evasive, “It’s a party, Karé.”_
> 
> _Karé groaned.  “Yes, it is.  And you seem to be the only one who doesn’t know that.”_
> 
> _“Huh?”_
> 
> _“You’ve spent the entire night scowling!  I mean, seriously, how long is this going to go on, Poe?”_
> 
> _“What?”_
> 
> _She huffed out an exasperated breath and cuffed him on the arm.  “This thing with the Prince!”_
> 
> _“What thing with the Prince?”_
> 
> _“Really?”_
> 
> _Poe made a flustered sound and then said, “He’s the Prince, Karé and…  And I don’t think about him in that way!”_
> 
> _Finn felt like he was going to throw up._
> 
> _“He needs another Prince or a Princess,” Poe added.  “Someone more his type.  Definitely not me.”_
> 
> _Finn slowly backed away from the conversation, his pulse pounding in his ears_.  How did Karé figure out how I feel about him?
> 
> _Poe suddenly asked, “Did you hear something?”_
> 
> _Finn stumbled and then righted himself, running towards the far end of the garden.  He found a statue in an alcove and moved behind it, feeling hot tears stain his cheeks…_

 

Finn blinked and stepped away from Poe.  _You have to give this stupid crush up_.  His voice was cool as he said, “We should go in to dinner.”

 

“Ummm, yes, of course,” Poe said.  _What happened?_  

 

Finn shrugged out of the jacket and handed it back to his guard.  “Thank you all the same.”  He began walking towards the castle.

 

Poe stood there, frozen, the jacket in his hands.  “Of course, your highness.”

 

**# # # #**

 

The next day, the Queen of Alderaan, the Prince Consort, and their daughter arrived.  The entire kingdom showed up to see them—the rumors of an intended marriage were already flying and everyone had wanted to get a look at the possible future Queen of D’Qar.

 

For her part, Lady Jess had spent the previous day coming up with a “proper” way to greet the Alderaanian court, and now, as she rode out to accompany them through the main gates, she hoped that the other guards were doing their part of the plan.  If all went as it should, soon the royal party would retreat to their rooms and Poe and Finn would be in some secluded corner declaring their undying love for each other.

 

Jess nudged her horse forward as she spotted the group of carriages making their way up the hill towards the castle.  “Time to say hello,” she whispered.

 

**# # # #**

 

Princess Rey of Alderaan shifted in her seat with a sigh.

 

“Not much longer,” her mother said.

 

Her father matched her sigh with his own.  The Queen shot him a pointed look.  “What,” he asked.  “It’s hot and we’ve been in this thing for hours.”

 

“Try to set a good example for your daughter.”

 

“Fine,” he said, pulling himself up straight.  “How’s this, your worship?”

 

The Queen fought hard against her smile.  “Better.”

 

Rey turned to look out the window.  They could see the castle now.  She fought another sigh.  Instead, her brow furrowed as she considered her predicament.  It wasn’t that she was against the idea of marriage.  She just wasn’t in a particular hurry to get married.  Especially not to a stranger.  And, if she were being completely honest, especially not to a man.

 

Telling her mother that, however, never seemed to happen.  Her mother had grand ambitions for Rey, and while Rey appreciated her mother’s love, at times it felt a bit suffocating. 

 

_Please say he already loves someone else._

 

In the distance, she spotted a rider.  “Someone’s coming.”

 

Her father shifted and turned to look out the window.  “Prince’s Guard,” he said.

 

“I told you we were close.”

 

As the rider approached, Princess Rey’s breath caught in her throat.  It was a lady, with long black hair piled loosely on top of her head.  She looked fierce and happy—as if she were born to ride—and Rey wanted nothing more than to jump on a horse and ride off with her.

 

She blinked and then refocused on the rider.  _The absolutely beautiful rider._   She suddenly felt a tingling in her chest and…

 

_No._

_I can’t…_

 

“Rey,” the Queen said.  “Are you well?  You look flushed.”

 

Rey sat back and stammered, “No, I’m…I’m fine, mother.”

 

Her father raised his eyebrow.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

**# # # #**

 

The Regent was waiting in the courtyard when they arrived.  He’d steeled himself for this.  It had been over twenty years, after all.

 

He held his breath as the Queen and the Prince Consort exited the carriage.  He gave them a long bow, his eyes on the ground.  He heard her move forward.  “Luke,” she said, with genuine excitement.  She reached for him.  He came up and smiled.  “Your majesty.”

 

She gave him a pointed look.

 

“Leia,” he said quietly.

 

Han appeared at her side.  “You look good, kid,” he said.

 

Luke blinked up at him, forcing his smile to stay in place.  “Thanks.  You too.”  He tried to ignore the thundering of his heart in his chest as he turned and regarded the young lady walking forward—the niece he’d never met.  “And you must be Rey.”

 

The Princess curtseyed.

 

He nodded towards the castle.  “Shall we?”

 

Luke led them in to the throne room, where Finn stood waiting.  He turned as they came in and smiled.  Luke had served the family long enough to see that it didn’t quite reach the Prince’s eyes.

 

“Your majesty,” Luke said to his sister, “may I present his royal highness, Prince Finn of D’Qar.  And your highness,” Luke said, “may I present her majesty, Queen Leia Organa of Alderaan, her consort, Prince Han Solo, and their daughter, Princess Rey.”

 

Finn gave them a sharp bow.  “Welcome to D’Qar.”

 

“We thank you for your hospitality, your highness.  This is a trip we should’ve made a long time ago.”

 

“I—”  There was a strange noise high up in the rafters.  Finn’s eyes darted up before he decided he’d imagined it.  “I’m just glad that you’re here now.”  He turned to Luke.  “We have several days of festivities planned, of course, but we thought that—”

 

There was a definite squawk coming from somewhere behind the throne.  Finn raised an eyebrow to Luke, who shrugged.

 

“As I was saying,” Finn started.

 

Now, there were a rising number of squawks.  “Luke,” Finn asked.

 

Luke jogged towards the noise.

 

“Anyway,” Finn said, turning back to the Queen, “we assumed you might want to have a quiet night tonight bef—”

 

A huge flock of blackbirds suddenly flew at them.  “Duck,” Han yelled, pulling his wife and daughter down.

 

“Poe,” Finn yelled, as the throne room seemed to be invaded by hundreds of birds. 

 

Poe appeared from seemingly nowhere and immediately pulled his cape up over Finn and looked to Han.  He yelled, “Snap, Iolo!”  As they ran forward, he screamed, “Get the Queen and her family to safety!”

 

The two guards helped Han, Leia, and Rey to cover.

 

Poe grabbed Finn and ran the other way, dodging very angry birds that were swooping at them.  “What in the kriff,” Poe yelled as they made their way into a side room.  He slammed the door shut and leaned into it for a moment, panting.

 

There was a noise from under his cape.  Poe smiled and pulled the cape off Finn, studying the Prince’s face, checking for any scratches or marks.  “Are you…”

 

Finn nodded, his eyes going wide.  “Kriff,” he said.  He reached forward, rubbing Poe’s cheek.  “You’re bleeding.”

 

“What?”

 

Finn showed him his thumb.

 

“Kriff,” Poe said, touching his cheek.  “I…”  He looked around for a clean rag to wipe his cheek with but his cape was covered in feathers and worse.

 

Finn sighed.  “Come with me.”  He started to pull Poe towards his personal study.

 

Poe stood still.  “The Princess,” he said.

 

“Will be fine with Iolo and Snap while I tend to you,” Finn finished.  He grabbed Poe’s arm again and drug him forward.

 

When they reached the study, Finn pushed Poe into a chair and went to his desk, rummaging around before returning with a clean rag and some salve.  Poe flinched.

 

“You’re scared of a little salve?”

 

“It stings,” Poe whimpered.

 

Finn leaned back and laughed.  “Really?  My big, strong guard is scared of a little sting?”

 

“Maybe his highness would like to go back and deal with the birds I rescued him from?”

 

Finn chuckled.  “Quiet, you big baby.”

 

He reached forward, wiping at the cut on Poe’s cheek.  Poe’s eyes fell closed as he felt the Prince’s fingers run along his skin.  He tried not to make a sound.  “There,” Finn said, cleaning up the blood.  He uncorked the salve and dabbed some on.  “That’s not so bad, is it?”

 

Poe had forgotten all about the cut.  He didn’t trust his voice, so he simply shook his head.

 

“You okay,” Finn asked.

 

Poe opened his eyes and nodded.

 

It was at that moment that Finn realized just how close they were to each other: Finn was standing between Poe’s legs, leaning down over him.  All it would take would be for one of them to move—barely—and they’d be…

 

“Poe,” Finn whispered.

 

“Yes, your highness,” Poe said, his voice full of hope.

 

Finn started leaning forward.  Poe moved to meet him.

 

Then, they both heard a yell coming from the hall.  “…and I want to know why there was a kriffing storm of birds in the throne room, but first I want to know where the Prince is!”

 

Finn jerked backwards.  “I’m in here, Luke,” he called out.

 

Poe quickly stood.

 

Luke came in and froze at the door.  “Oh, uh…”

 

Poe nearly fell, stepping backward, away from the Prince.

 

“Poe was injured by the birds and I wanted to get some of your salve on it,” Finn said, walking to his desk and returning the bottle to its drawer.  “You needed me?”

 

“Oh,” Luke said, looking from Finn to Poe and then back again.  “Yes.  The royal family.  I think you can still salvage the meeting if…”  He looked back at Poe and something seemed to click.  “Or I can deal with them?”

 

“No,” Finn said.  “It should be me.”  He turned to Poe.  “Are you well?”

 

“Of course, your highness,” Poe said with a quick bow.

 

“Good,” Finn said.  “Wouldn’t do to have the head of the Prince’s Guard taken out by a flock of blackbirds.”  He winked at Poe and started out of the room.  “Where are they,” he asked Luke. 

 

“The south wing,” Luke said, still staring at Poe.

 

As Finn started down the hall, Poe joined Luke at the door.

 

“I didn’t know,” Luke said.

 

“What,” Poe asked, hoping that Luke hadn’t seen him practically throwing himself at the Prince.

 

“I…”  Luke shook his head.  “Never mind.”  Luke brushed a black feather off Poe’s shoulder.  “Could you find out what happened?”

 

“Of course,” Poe said, and with that, he started towards the armory.  He had a feeling that some of the guards might know why there was an inexplicable bird attack this afternoon.

 

As he got closer to the guard’s room, he heard Jessika arguing with Iolo.  “How was I supposed to know they’d actually attack people,” she yelled.  “I just thought they’d fly around and mess things up.”

 

“Oh, they did that,” Iolo said.

 

Poe strolled in.  “So,” he said, surveying all the guards.  “I take it you might know why we were attacked by a gang of blackbirds today?”

 

“I believe the technical term is a cluster,” Bastian said from his chair.

 

Poe sighed.  “Someone want to tell me what is going on?”

 

“Not really,” Jess said.

 

Poe fixed Lady Kun with a stare.  She was the responsible one, after all.  _Well, responsible is a relative term_ , Poe thought. 

 

After about twenty seconds, she huffed out, “Fine.”

 

“Traitor,” Jess said.

 

“He knows, Jess!  We might as well try to explain ourselves.”  She looked to Poe.  “Is the Prince unharmed?”

 

“Yes, and as far as I know, so are the Queen and her family.” 

 

Poe looked to Iolo, who nodded his confirmation, adding, “Snap is still with them, just to be sure.” 

 

“So, why birds?”

 

“We just wanted a distraction,” Jess said.

 

“A distraction?”

 

The guards all shared a long look with one another.  Finally, Karé spoke, “Poe, you know that we love you, right?”

 

“Yeeesss,” Poe said, not trusting where this was going.

 

“And we only want what’s best for you?”

 

“Yes,” he said.

 

“And that’s why we’re trying to sabotage this meeting with the Princess.”

 

“Sabotage?”

 

“It was Jessika’s idea!”

 

Poe turned to Jess.

 

“Fine,” she said.  “We all know that you’re in love with the Prince—” Poe opened his mouth to argue but she continued “—and that he is in love with you.”  Poe made a disbelieving noise.  “BUT,” she said, “for some reason, neither of you is brave enough to step up and say something, so we thought a little nudge…”

 

“Little nudge?”  Poe studied the group.  “This was your idea of a _little_ nudge?”

 

“Well, the frogs worked,” Iolo said.

 

“The frogs?”  Poe’s mouth fell open.  “That was you?”

 

“Yes,” Iolo said in a small voice.

 

“Kriff,” Poe said.  He closed his eyes; he could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on.  “Does one of you want to tell me how we’re going to explain this to the Regent?”

 

He heard footsteps at the door and turned to see Rose walking in.  “I’ll take care of that.”

 

“You will,” Poe asked.

 

She nodded.  “And I’ll make sure it’s believable.”

 

“Good.”  Poe pinched the bridge of his nose.  “I’m guessing the less I know about this, the better,” he said.  He paused at the door.  “But I want your promise—all of you,” he said, pointing to Jess, “that there will be no more birds or frogs or any animals of any kind.  No more sabotage, understood?”

 

“You have our word,” Karé said.

 

“All of you,” Poe said.

 

“Yes,” the others grumbled.

 

“Good,” Poe said, leaving the room with a shake of his head.  _Birds?  They thought birds were a good idea?_

 

**# # # #**

 

Rey snuck out of her room early the next morning and made her way to the stables.  She figured no one would come looking for her there and she wanted some time alone.

 

The birds yesterday had been a welcome diversion, but today, she’d be expected to spend time with the Prince.  _Need to figure out a way to get him to agree to my plan_ , she thought as she paced in front of the stalls.  _Make him see how bad this match would be._

“Hey,” came a voice from the far end of the stables.  “Who in the kriff do you think you—”  Lady Pava abruptly stopped in front of her.  “Your highness,” she said with a quick curtsey.  She looked up.  “Are you lost?”

 

“No,” Rey said, flummoxed as she realized that the lady haranguing her was the mystery rider from yesterday.  “I…  I…”

 

“You shouldn’t be here,” Jess said, stepping forward.  “It isn’t the kind of place for—”

 

“A lady,” Rey asked, eying Jess up and down with a smirk.

 

“Well, I’m different.”

 

Rey crossed her arms and waited for an explanation.

 

“I’m a member of the Prince’s Guard and…”  Jess hadn’t, until this very moment, stopped to examine the Princess.  And now, she realized that she was kriffed.  The Princess was beautiful—small, but with sparkling green eyes and a truly lovely smile.  Jess shook her head.  _And not interested in a mere guard_.  “I’m in charge of the stables,” she finally managed.

 

“You are?”

 

Jess nodded.

 

Rey beamed.  “That’s wonderful!”  She gave a quick curtsey.  “Princess Rey of Alderaan.”

 

“Oh,” Jess said, curtseying again.  “Lady Jessika Pava, your highness.”

 

“Please, call me Rey.”

 

“Rey,” Jess said, a blush traveling up her cheeks.

 

“And you’re really in charge of all of this,” Rey asked, motioning around them.

 

“Yes,” Jess said.  She motioned for the Princess to follow her. 

 

“How?”

 

Jess shrugged as they walked past stalls.  “I’ve always been good with horses and after I was appointed to the guard, I asked Poe…um, Sir Dameron—he’s the head of the Guard—and he asked the Prince and…”

 

Rey smiled.  _Maybe this Sir Dameron can help me._ “So, you live here?”

 

Jess blushed again as she nodded.

 

“Really?  Show me,” Rey said, excited.

 

Jess stopped.  The Princess was nothing like she had expected.  “Why?”

 

Rey shrugged.  “Why not?”

 

Jess smiled.  “Okay.”  She pointed to a small room towards the back. 

 

Rey walked over and peered inside.  It was no bigger than a stall, but it looked warm and inviting.  There was a well-worn chair next to a small table, piled high with books.  Rey walked over and began examining them.

 

“I’ve been studying defensive tactics,” Jess said sheepishly.

 

Rey’s eyes lit up.  “Really?”

 

Jess nodded and followed her in.  “D’Qar hasn’t been at war since before the Prince was born, but…”  She rummaged through some papers and then pointed to a small map.  “If we were, I think this would be our most vulnerable territory.” 

 

Rey moved to stand next to Jess, studying the map.  She nodded slowly.  “I think you’re right.  That canyon there—it would be easy to defend, but it’s so far away that—”

 

“No one bothers to defend it,” Jess finished.  She looked at the Princess in awe.

 

Rey smiled at the other woman.  _Oh kriff, I think I’m in love with you_.

 

Jess stared at the Princess.  _You are amazing, and I’m pretty sure I want to kiss you now_.

 

Someone cleared their throat behind them.  Both women turned to see Rose, smiling, in the doorway.  “Your highness.  Lady Pava,” she said with a nod.  “It seems there’s quite a commotion in the south wing.  The Queen and her consort have lost their daughter.”

 

“Oh,” Rey said.  “I didn’t…”  She started towards the door then stopped abruptly.  “Sorry,” she said to Rose and then, she turned to Jess.  “Thank you for showing me your room.”  She started back towards the castle.

 

Jess stood there, in a daze. 

 

“Jess,” Rose said.

 

“Huh?”

 

Rose nodded towards the Princess, who was already crossing the yard.

 

“Oh, right.”  Jess called out, “You’re welcome!”

 

**# # # #**

 

Later that afternoon, Finn showed the Princess the royal gardens.  It was a pleasant enough day and the flowers were in bloom, but both the Prince and the Princess had been dreading this meeting for days.

 

And to make matters worse, both were aware that there were many sets of eyes on them.

 

That meant that they were both stiff and awkward, and the whole thing was painfully uncomfortable until finally, Rey whispered, “How many of them do you think are watching us?”

 

Finn smiled.  “Ummmm, are we counting my guard?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“At least five,” Finn said.

 

Rey nodded, pretending to smell a flower.  “Are you sure?”

 

“Well,” Finn said, leading her to another plant.  “Your mother is standing behind the curtain at her window.”

 

“Yes, I saw her,” Rey said.  She pointed to the plant and pretended to ask Finn about it.  “And the Regent is standing at the far end of the garden behind a column.”

 

“Yes,” Finn said.  He slowly turned them until they were facing away from the castle.  He pointed toward a fountain.  “And Poe is standing under the wisteria.”

 

“Poe?”

 

“Oh,” Finn blushed.  “Um, Sir Dameron, the head of the Prince’s Guard.”

 

“Oh,” Rey said.  She turned and waved to the guard.

 

He looked confused, but he waved back.

 

“Kriff,” she heard Finn mutter.

 

“That’s three,” Rey said.

 

“Well, your father is hiding near the entrance to the grotto,” Finn said.  “Pretending to read a book.”

 

Rey snorted and then tried to compose herself.  “One more.”

 

“Ah, yes,” Finn said.  “And Lady Rose is watching from the terrace.”

 

“Lady Rose?”

 

“My dearest friend in all the world,” Finn said.

 

“And,” Rey raised an eyebrow. 

 

“And?”

 

“Perhaps more?”

 

“Rose,” Finn sputtered.  “Rose?  No!  I mean, she’s lovely, but no.”  He shook his head.  “No,” he repeated.  “She’s practically my sister!”

 

“Oh,” Rey said.  Then she smiled, pointing towards a path that would take them even further from the castle and all those prying eyes.  “But there is someone, yes?”

 

“Yes,” Finn squeaked.  “I mean, what?  I mean, no,” Finn said more firmly.

 

Rey laughed, making sure to make a show of putting her hand on his arm.  She leaned in.  “Because that would be very good news to me.”

 

“It would,” Finn asked, still trying to figure out what was going on.

 

“Yes, it would.”  Rey searched for the right words.  “I’m not…  Well, I’m in no rush to get married, but even if I was…  Ummmmmmm, you’re not the right type for me?”

 

“Right type?”

 

“I prefer…ladies,” she said.

 

“Oh,” Finn said, and then as it sunk in, “OH.”  His smile was suddenly blinding.  “Really?”

 

Rey nodded.

 

“That’s…  Well, that’s wonderful,” Finn said.

 

Rey hooked her arm through Finn’s.  “So now, why don’t you tell me about this person who’s already stolen your heart?”

 

“But…”

 

Rey shook her head.  “I can see it in your eyes, your highness.”

 

“Finn,” he said.

 

“Finn,” she said.  “Well?”

 

Finn sighed.  “It’s a long story.”

 

“We have all afternoon.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Leia, Han, and Luke sat around a table in one of the receiving rooms in the south wing.  “It looks like they’re getting along,” she said.

 

“Maybe,” Han said.

 

“Perhaps,” Luke said, his gut was telling him that what he’d seen yesterday in Finn’s study between Finn and Poe was more than just his imagination.  He allowed himself a quick glance at Han before looking back down at the table.  _Of course, that doesn’t have to mean anything_.

 

Leia stood.  “Perhaps the two of you could show a bit more enthusiasm?”

 

“Sorry,” Luke said, rising.  “I’m sure you’re right.”  He bowed and walked to the door.  “I should check on the preparations for tomorrow’s ball.”

 

As he left, Han leaned back in his chair.  “Is there a reason you’re so determined to see her wed?”

 

“I…”  Leia stood and began to pace.  “I just want to make sure that she’s safe,” she said.

 

“She can take care of herself,” Han said.

 

“I know, but…”  Leia walked to the door and peered out, watching Luke walk down the hall.  “I have a bad feeling.”  She turned towards her husband.  “Something is going to happen.”

 

“Have you talked to Luke about this?”

 

“It’s why we’re here.”

 

“And what has he said?”

 

“He can feel it too, but…”  She walked back towards the table.  “Neither of us can see anything definite.  Just a sense that something, or someone, is coming.”

 

“And you think…”  Han dreaded the answer to a question he couldn’t quite ask.

 

“I don’t know,” she said.  “I just wanted to make sure that if…”  She put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing.  “If anything were to happen to us, that she would have someone.”

 

Han nodded.  He put his hand on top of hers.  “Even if she didn’t, she would be fine.”  He stood, turning and placing a soft kiss on his wife’s forehead.  “Rey is amazing.  Just like her mother.”

 

Leia sighed and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him. 

 

“Trust me, your majesty,” he said.  “She’ll be fine.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe sat in his room. 

 

There was a bed, a small table, and a fine leather chair that the Prince had insisted on giving him, but other than that, the room was bare.  Poe was so rarely there—he had guards to oversee and a Prince to protect—that he had never seen the need to embellish.

 

And on this night, the sparse setting fit his mood.

 

Poe drummed his fingers across the arm of his chair.  _They’re in love_ , he told himself.

 

He’d watched the Prince and Princess tour the gardens for two hours that afternoon and with every giggle, with every glance, with every hand on a shoulder or shared whisper, his heart had broken just a bit more.  By the end of their tour, he’d felt sick.

 

He’d begged off dinner, asking Snap to watch the Prince in his stead, and retreated to his room.  He sat in the dark, remembering the whole thing _._

 

_I've lost him._

 

**# # # #**

 

Rose waited until Lady Pava retired to the stables before walking into the guard’s room.

 

“Hello,” Snap said.  “What brings you here this late, mi’lady?”

 

Rose smiled.  “I know that we promised Poe no more sabotaging the Princess’s visit, but we didn’t promise anything about matchmaking, did we?”

 

Iolo smiled.  “No, we did not.”  He put his hands behind his head.  “Who did you have in mind?”

 

“The Princess and Lady Jess.”

 

Bastian cackled.  “Sign me up!”

 

“The Princess and Jess,” Snap asked.  “Are you sure?”

 

Rose nodded, moving into the room, so she could speak in a lower tone.  “I came across them this morning in the stable and—”

 

Bastian made a vulgar sound.

 

Rose rolled her eyes.  “No, nothing like that.  It was simply clear that the Princess and Lady Jess were smitten with each other.”

 

Karé smiled.  “That’s wonderful.”

 

“I thought so,” Rose said.

 

“And tomorrow is the ball,” Iolo said.  “It would be a shame to let it pass without a little mischief.”

 

Snap nodded.  “Okay, we’re in, but I’m guessing if we’re going to be matching the Princess and Lady Jess, we’re also going to need to do something about the Prince and a certain guard who’s been sulking in his room all night?”

 

“Exactly,” said Rose.

 

“You have an idea,” Karé asked.

 

“Yes,” Rose said.

 

“No birds,” Karé asked.

 

“No birds,” Rose said with a smile.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Monday, the Prince's Ball...


	3. The Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems everyone has an idea of what needs to happen at the ball--and no one's plans include dancing! It's like they all have other things on their minds...

 

 

Rey’s forehead bunched as she stood on the balcony overlooking the gardens. That afternoon, Finn had told her about his longstanding love for Sir Poe Dameron and then he told her how Poe didn’t share those feelings.  While the Prince had been sincere, she still wanted to hear this confirmed by Sir Dameron himself.  Knowing Prince Finn for only a few hours, the Princess already felt he was going to be a dear life-long friend, and if she could, she wanted to help him find a suitable partner.

 

Plus, given the way that Sir Dameron had been watching them this afternoon, Rey had her doubts that the Prince was seeing the situation clearly _.  I don’t think he’s as disinterested as you think, Finn._ Before the tour of the garden was even over, Rey had vowed to corner Sir Dameron and ask him a few key questions.

 

The only problem was, the man didn’t show up to dinner.  And no one had seen him the rest of the night, either.

 

_How to catch him before the ball tomorrow?_

 

She knew a good portion of her day was going to be spent getting ready for the ball, so she would have limited opportunities to go searching for a member of the Prince’s Guard.  And it wasn’t like she could just walk up to a servant and demand they take her to him—that would start all sorts of unfortunate rumors.

 

Rey pushed off the railing and walked back into her room.  And then, it came to her.  _His room has to be near the Prince’s, right?_

 

She walked to her door and listened.  Her father had managed to talk her mother out of posting a guard at her door, but she was certain a guard had still been posted nearby.  She cracked it open and peered into the dark hall.  “Hello,” she whispered.

 

When no one responded, she crept out.  _The Prince lives in the east wing, and…  I have no idea how to get there._

 

That wasn’t going to stop her.

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe sometimes walked the castle at night—a habit left over from when he’d been a regular guard and it was his duty.  Tonight, though, he simply enjoyed the quiet.  At least, until he turned a corner and heard a very distinctive squeak.

 

“Who’s there,” he asked into the darkness, his hand already falling to his sword.

 

“Me,” said a female voice.

 

“And who would that be,” he asked, pressing forward.

 

“Rey,” the voice said.

 

“Rey?”  And then he realized.  “ _Princess_ Rey?”

 

“Yes,” she said, walking forward.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said, sweeping into a bow.  “But what are you doing here, your highness?”

 

“I’m lost,” she said, stepping up to him.

 

Poe had to admit—up close, it was clear just how lovely she was.  _I can’t blame him, really._

“Okay,” Poe said, wondering why she was out of her room in the first place—and then, the sickening realization: _maybe she was visiting the Prince_.  “I can get you back to your room, your highness.”

 

“Please, call me Rey.”

 

“It wouldn’t be right, your highness.”

 

Rey rolled her eyes.  She tried to study the man next to her, but the shadows were making it difficult.  After a few steps, she asked, “And you are?”

 

“Oh, sorry!”  He bowed again.  “Sir Poe Dameron, your highness.  Head of the Prince’s Guard.”

 

“Sir Dameron?”  She smiled from ear to ear.

 

“Yes?”

 

“So, _you’re_ Poe!  I’m very glad to meet you!  I’ve heard many good things about you.”

 

“Oh,” Poe said.

 

“Yes, the Prince speaks very highly of you.”

 

“He does?”

 

“Yes,” Rey said, and then with a mischievous grin she added, “In fact, I do believe that a great deal of our conversation this afternoon centered on his admiration of you…his _great_ admiration of you.”

 

Poe was grateful she couldn’t see his blush.  “Oh,” he said.  “It’s…that’s…  Really,” he whispered.  He shook his head, a goofy grin on his face, and then seemed to remember Rey was there.  “I hold him in high esteem as well.”

 

Rey wanted to laugh.  One minute with poor, flustered Poe Dameron and she was convinced he was in love with Prince Finn.  She decided to spare him any more stammering by asking an easy question: “How long have you served as the head of his Guard?”

 

“I became the head of the Prince’s Guard fourteen years ago, your highness.  Before that, I was a member of the Royal Guard.”

 

Rey stopped and studied Sir Dameron.  He didn’t look _that_ old.

 

Poe chuckled.  “I’m 30,” he said.  “I became head of the Guard when I was sixteen.”  He gestured forward and they resumed walking.

 

“So young?”

 

Poe nodded.  “Both of my parents served in the Royal Guard and I grew up in it.  The Regent liked the idea of someone young who could grow old with the Prince, as it were.”  He blushed again at the idea of _growing old with Finn_ , and this time Rey didn’t miss the red on his cheeks.

 

Poe stopped and pointed to a door.  “I believe these are your quarters, yes?”

 

Rey looked around and realized that they were, in fact, back at her room.  “Why, yes.  Thank you, Sir Dameron.”

 

“It was my pleasure,” he said, bowing.

 

He started to walk away and Rey had the sudden overwhelming need to make sure he knew where she stood.  “Poe,” she said, grabbing his arm.

 

“Yes?”  He looked at her hand on his arm, clearly uncomfortable. 

 

She withdrew her arm slowly.  “You do know that the Prince and I aren’t interested in each other in that way, right?”

 

Poe’s heart skipped a beat.  He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

 

Rey smiled.  “I just didn’t want you to think that he and I…”

 

“Oh no, of course not,” Poe said.

 

“It turns out the Prince’s heart was already taken by the time I got here.”  She gave Poe a soft smile.  “Goodnight.”

 

“Goodnight, Princess,” Poe said, completely flummoxed but in a far better mood than he had been earlier in the night.

 

**# # # #**

 

The next morning, Finn could hear the preparations for the ball going on outside the door to the Regent’s study, and he hoped that the sounds of furniture being moved and servants scuttling to and fro meant that the Regent was so engrossed with his duties that he wouldn’t be back for a while.

 

Finn wasn’t usually given to sneaking into other people’s rooms without permission—even if he was soon to be the King—but this was an emergency.

 

He frowned as he searched through the books in the shelves behind the Regent’s desk.  Finn knew that the rumors claiming that the Regent was a sorcerer were true, and he was hoping that that might mean that Luke had a spellbook of some kind that he could use.

 

_I’m going to end this silly unrequited crush once and for all_ , he thought.

 

Even though the Princess had been sympathetic yesterday, it was clear that she didn’t believe him—just like everyone else in the castle, she thought Finn was blind to Sir Dameron’s true feelings. 

 

_They don’t know_ , Finn thought.  _But I’ve heard the truth out of his own mouth_.

 

Finn scanned title after title, but all of them were boring histories.  He was about to give up entirely when he noticed a single untitled volume on the top shelf.  It was dark green leather and as Finn pulled on it so that he could examine the front of the book, he heard a distinct click.  The bookcase swung open, revealing a staircase down to the lower levels of the castle.

 

Finn looked around and started down the stairs.

 

As the bookcase swung shut with another click, Finn was plunged into darkness.  His hands immediately grasped the stone walls on either side of him and he slowly worked his way down.  At the bottom of the stairs was a small room lit by a series of torches with a table in the center.  There were all sorts of vials and bottles full of spices and ingredients lining the walls, and at the far end of the room, there was another bookcase.  Finn smiled.  _This is what I was looking for._

 

It only took him a few minutes to find a slim volume marked “Spells and Enchantments of the Heart.”  He opened it and regarded the warning on the first page.

 

            _Beware those spells intended to begin or cease the feeling of love!_

_Love is its own magic and tampering with it may have unintended consequences!_

Finn’s heart fluttered and he thought about returning the book and rushing back upstairs, but then Poe’s words in the garden on his twenty-second birthday rattled through his brain.

 

“No,” Finn said into the empty chamber.  “I’m ending this tonight.”

 

He opened the book and started searching for a spell.

**# # # #**

 

Later that evening, the Queen stood outside her daughter’s room, tapping her shoe on the floor.  They were already late for the ball.  “Rey,” her mother said, and Rey imagined she could hear the Queen’s arms folding in front of her chest. 

 

Rey answered, “I’m almost ready.  You and father go down, and I’ll join you soon.”

 

There was a hushed conversation on the other side of her door before the Queen huffed, “Fine.  But if you aren’t down in ten minutes, I’m coming back up for you.”

 

“Yes, mother.”

 

Rey smiled.  Part one of her plan was a success.  Now, she just needed to wait a few moments to make sure her parents were gone before dashing off to find a certain guard _.  Finn, I’m going to get you your man._

 

**# # # #**

 

Rose paused at the end of the hallway, curtseying as the Queen and her consort approached.  But then she noticed… “Is the Princess well,” she asked.

 

“Yes,” Leia said, shaking her head.  “Wants to make a fashionable entrance without us, I think.”

 

Han snorted and then pretended to study a nearby tapestry.

 

Rose nodded and continued on her way as the Queen and her consort started down the staircase towards the noise of the ball.

 

Rose stopped just outside the Princess’ room.  _This is going to be easier than I thought_.  The original plan was to have Lady Rose lure the Princess into the Prince's study and lock her in there.   _But if she's going to do all the hard work for me_ , Rose thought as she produced a small key from inside her dress.  With a wicked grin, she locked the Princess in her room.

 

_Now, to find Lady Jess._

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe watched from the side of the ballroom as the Prince greeted his guests.  When he’d been younger, he had insisted on following the Prince more closely, but over the past few years, that had become painful—watching but never getting to interact.

 

He’d thought the distance would help, but frankly, it just made the pain in his heart more noticeable.

 

Poe closed his eyes and sighed.  _I am so kriffed._

 

He opened them as he heard someone thump into the wall next to him.  He turned to see Lady Jess in a stunning red gown.  He grinned.  “You look lovely, Jess.”

 

She snorted.  “Why do we have to come to these things?”

 

Poe chuckled.  “Where the Prince goes, so go we.”

 

“Ugh.”  She rolled her eyes.

 

“That’s treason, you know,” Poe said.

 

Jess frowned.  “Yeah, whatever.”

 

“Why are you in such a bad mood?”

 

“Why are you,” she shot back.

 

“Who says I’m in a—”

 

“Oh, so it’s perfectly normal to be standing against a wall, looking like someone just murdered your puppy—”

 

“Ew, Jess!”

 

“—while there’s a party going on around you?”

 

“I’m just…”

 

“Spare me your excuses, Sir Dameron.  I’ve heard them all before.”

 

“Fine,” he said.  “Still doesn’t explain what’s got _you_ so flustered this evening.”

 

Jess crossed her arms in front of her and studied Poe.  They’d known each other for years, and she would trust him with her life.  _But can I trust you with a secret?_

 

“Jess,” Poe insisted.

 

“Fine,” Jess huffed out.  “I…I think I have a small crush on—”

 

Poe began laughing.

 

“—on someone.”  Jess stared at the ground.

 

“Sorry,” Poe said.  “It’s just, it’s about time.”  He looked around the ballroom, searching for suitable candidates.  “Is it Bastian?”

 

“No,” Jess hissed.

 

“Karé?”

 

“No, but better.”

 

“Ummmm….”

 

“They aren’t here,” Jess said, and then after doing a quick scan to make sure, she added, “Yet.”

 

Poe leaned back and studied the room.  _Who could it be?  Who could it be…_   There were very few familiar faces that weren’t present.  Everyone wanted to get a look at the Prince’s possible intended.  Poe frowned a bit at that thought, but kept searching.  “Everyone’s here, though,” he muttered.  _Except the Queen and…_   “NO!”

 

A few nearby partygoers turned, startled at his outburst.

 

“Sorry,” Poe said, taking Jess’ arm and pulling her closer to him.  “The Princess?”

 

Jess’ cheeks went bright red and that was all of the confirmation Poe needed.  He was just about to pester her with hundreds of questions when Rose appeared.  “Lady Jess.  Sir Poe.”

 

“Lady Rose,” Poe said.  “Hello!”

 

“I was hoping I might have a word with Jess?”

 

Poe let go of Jess’ arm and nodded.  “We’re not finished,” he whispered at her as he walked away.

 

“Everything okay,” Rose asked.

 

Jess shook her head.  “Poe is just…”  She composed herself.  “How can I help you?”

 

“We have a problem,” Rose said.

 

“Yes?”

 

“One of the servants has gotten herself locked inside the Princess’ room and she’s afraid of causing a ruckus.  I promised to find help, but…”

 

“Why me?”

 

Rose took Jess’ arm and started leading her towards a side entrance.  “You’re good at figuring out puzzles and…”

 

Jess didn’t look impressed.

 

“Fine,” Rose said.  “I can’t ask Poe because he’s supposed to be watching the Prince.  Iolo and Snap are supposed to guard the Queen and her family when they arrive.  Bastian has disappeared, and Karé is currently scolding a group of twelve year olds.”

 

“So, I was the only one free?”

 

“Yes,” Rose said.

 

“Fine,” Jess said.  “The Princess’s room?”

 

“Yes,” Rose said.  “Thank you!”

 

**# # # #**

 

Finn kept repeating the spell over and over in his mind as he smiled at the woman who was talking about wheat crops in the southern regions.

 

_By these words, I bind my heart_

_Love’s hold on me shall now depart_

_Unanswered love is answered now_

_As I make this solemn vow:_

_With final look, a last embrace_

_from my heart, this love erase._

_I pray these words will set me free_

_and forever end my love for thee._

 

The book had said that for the spell to take effect, Finn would need to face Poe, his hands on Poe’s arms, and gaze into his eyes while he muttered the incantation.  Then, when he let Poe go, the spell would be cast, and he wouldn’t be in love any more.

 

It sounded simple enough, but…

 

With every passing moment, Finn got more and more nervous.

 

He snuck a look over at Poe, who’d planted himself along the wall, and he suddenly missed the days when Poe stood with him during these things.  Even though they rarely got a chance to speak, just knowing Poe was there had had a calming effect on him.  _I miss you_ , he thought. 

 

And then, _No!_

_No more of this!_

_I’m going to finish this thing tonight._

 

**# # # #**

 

Rey grabbed the door and pushed but nothing happened.  “What,” she said.  She tried again, groaning as he pushed again.  “Wait, what?”  She looked around.  _Is this a joke or something?_   “Hello?”  She pushed a third time and the realization sunk in.  _I’m locked in._

_Kriff!_

 

Rey scanned the room.  There were no other doors into the castle and the door connecting her room to her parents’ was locked on their side.  “Kriff!”

 

“What,” she heard on the other side of the door.

 

“Hello!  Is someone there?”

 

“Yes, it’s Lady Jess.  I’m here to get you out.”

 

“Thank goodness!  I thought I was going to spend the rest of the—”  _Jess?  As in…_

_Oh kriffing hell._

 

“I didn’t catch the last part,” Jess said.

 

“Oh, nothing.”

 

Jess froze.  _That voice sounds…_   “Who is this?”

 

“What do you mean, who is this?”

 

“I mean, who is this?”

 

“It’s the Princess.  Who else would it be?”

 

Jess let out a squeak.  _Kriff!_

 

“What are you doing in there?”

 

“It’s my room!”

 

“I mean, how…”  Jess closed her eyes.  _Try not to sound like an idiot, Pava._

 

“I don’t know.  I was getting ready and then when I went to open the door, it was locked.”

 

_Rose,_ Jess realized.  _You dirty, double-crossing…_   “Okay, well, um…”  Jess jiggled the handle.  “We’ll think of something.”

 

**# # # #**

 

“Poe,” Bastian said, jogging up.  “Ummmm, there’s a small problem.”

 

Poe groaned.  “Frogs?  Birds?”

 

“No,” Bastian said, “no animals.”  He leaned in.  “There’s a bit of an issue out in the back garden, near the entrance to the grotto.”

 

“What?”

 

“I just think that…  I don’t think they’re going to listen to me, and…”

 

“Fine,” Poe said.  He nodded towards the Prince.  “Keep an eye on him.”

 

Bastian smiled at Poe’s retreating form.  “Oh, I will.”

 

As soon as Poe left the ballroom, Bastian nodded to Iolo, who waited another minute, then quickly crossed the floor to the Prince.  “Your highness,” he said.  “A word?”

 

Finn excused himself and walked over to Iolo, concern evident on his face.  “What is it?”

 

“A situation has arisen in the back garden, your highness.  I’m afraid that Poe was injured and…”  He didn’t have to finish.  The Prince was already rushing out of the room.  Iolo turned to Bastian and nodded with a smile.

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe didn’t like this.  _Something isn’t right._  

 

He looked around.  The gardens were actually quite lovely—there were lanterns lit all along the paths and the music from inside the castle was filtering out.  It was still early enough that not many party-goers had ventured outside yet, so it felt secluded.  _Romantic_ , he thought as he paused at the entrance to the grotto. 

 

“There’s no one here,” he grumbled.  And then, he realized just who had told him to come out here.  “What are you up to,” he said, spinning and nearly falling back as he watched the Prince jogging towards him.

 

“Poe,” the Prince called out.

 

Poe started for the Prince.  “Your highness?”  _Is something wrong?_

 

They practically crashed into each other.  Poe grasped the Prince’s shoulders, looking him over to make sure he was okay, and the Prince did the same to Poe.

 

“I thought,” Finn started, looking up and down at Poe, relief settling over his features.  “Iolo said…”

 

Poe shook his head.  “They told me that there was a problem near the grotto,” he explained.

 

“Oh, so you aren’t…”  Finn started to step back, before he realized that Poe was still holding on to him.

 

“Oh,” Poe said, realizing he was still had the Prince in his arms.  “Sorry!  I didn’t…”  He let go and started to back away.

 

Finn startled both of them when he said, “No.”  He closed his eyes.  “I mean, don’t go.”  Finn opened his eyes and stared into Poe’s.  It was the perfect opportunity.  He could finally be rid of these feelings and get on with his life.  _Just say the spell_ , his brain screamed.

 

Poe stepped forward, biting his lip.  “Okay,” he whispered.

 

“No, I…”  Finn heaved out a breath.  He opened his mouth to start saying the spell and nothing happened _.  I can’t do it._   “That wasn’t an order, Poe.”

 

“Oh,” Poe said.  “It wasn’t?”

 

Finn shook his head.  “But all the same, please don’t go,” he said.  _I love you.  I’ve always loved you._

 

Poe nodded, reaching up and placing a hand on Finn’s arm.  “I won’t.”  _Ever._

 

They stood there, breathing heavily, staring into each other’s eyes, both of them desperately wanting to say what was in his heart. 

 

**# # # #**

 

“Okay,” Jess said, grunting.  “I think I’ve almost,” she pulled at the door with all her might and felt it give, “got it.”  She let out a huge breath.  “What I’m going to need you to do, Princess, is come at the door, full speed, and push with everything you’ve got.”

 

“Okay,” Rey said.  “I can do that.”

 

“On the count of three,” Jess called out.  “One…Two…Three.”

 

Rey bolted at the door and yelled as she came crashing into it.  The door gave and suddenly, she found herself tumbling out and into the arms of Lady Jess.  They both fell to the floor.

 

“Ooooh,” Jess said, her arms wrapped around the Princess.

 

“Omph,” Rey said, panting.  She lifted her head to see that she was on top of the other lady.  “Oh!”

 

They both froze.  A quick blush rose on Jess’ cheeks.  “Kriff,” Rey said.  Jess smiled.  “Oh, yes, right,” Rey said, trying to push herself up.

 

Jess tried to help and ended up falling backwards.

 

“Oh no,” Rey said, reaching over.  She pulled Jess up and they ended up nose to nose.

 

Both women held their breaths as they stared into each other’s eyes.

 

“Kriff,” Jess whispered.

 

“Exactly,” Rey said with a smile.

 

**# # # #**

 

“Poe,” Finn said.  “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Rose says I need to be brave and just…”

 

Poe smiled.  “Brave is good.  We both need to be brave, I think.”  _Please say this is going where I think it’s going._

 

Finn’s smile was dazzling.  “Yeah?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

He reached over and grasped Poe’s shoulder, pulling him in.  “Poe, I—”

 

There was a huge crash in the ballroom.  And then a scream.

 

Poe and Finn stared at each other, wide eyed, for a split second before they both took off running.

 

**# # # #**

 

Jess’ hand was on Rey’s cheek.  It was impetuous and forward, but she couldn’t help herself. 

 

The Princess leaned forward.  “Jess,” she whispered.

 

“Yes?”

 

There was a huge crash downstairs, followed by screaming.

 

Both women jerked apart.  Rey grabbed Jess’ hand and they started running towards the ballroom.  “Come on!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Thursday, the curse...


	4. The Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You didn't think I'd forget about Kylo Ren and his friends, did you?

 

 

The Kingdom of Starkiller was ruled over by an evil sorcerer named Snoke.  It was far away from the kingdom of D’Qar and its allies, and none of their ships ever sailed there, nor did any of their merchants venture over the mountains to trade there.  It was supposedly an icy, desolate place where nothing good would grow.

 

Snoke’s chosen successor was Prince Kylo Ren.  Rumors suggested that many years ago, Ren had been a good man but that he had been seduced by Snoke’s promises of riches and power until he became a twisted shadow of his former self.

 

At Ren’s side was the sorcerer Hux.  Some claimed that Hux was even more powerful than Snoke, and tales were told of his curses, laid on the heads of innocents who were tormented by his evil schemes.

 

Phasma was the head of the Prince’s Guard.  She was a beautiful, icy woman who towered over everyone else in the kingdom, and the rumor was that she was under an enchantment, that like Ren, she had once been good and kind, but that Hux had twisted her and turned her into his puppet.

 

It was with no small bit of surprise, then, that Finn ran into the ballroom to see Prince Ren, Hux, and Phasma standing at the far end, smoke billowing around them.

 

Poe came up just behind him and nearly pushed him over, staring at the trio.  “Holy kriff,” he muttered, instinctively grabbing for his sword.

 

“Where is the Prince,” Ren bellowed.  “We have business with him!”

 

Finn was just about to answer when Queen Organa called out, “Ben?”

 

Several party-goers gasped in shock.  Everyone knew that the Queen and her consort had another child—a son who had been lost years ago—but none of them had suspected that he and Kylo Ren were one and the same.

 

The tall Prince turned to survey the Queen and her consort.  He sneered, “My name is Kylo Ren.”

 

“Your name is Ben,” Han answered steadily.

 

“No,” the Prince screamed.  “I am Kylo Ren of Starkiller, and I’m here to see Prince Finn.”

 

Finn stepped forward.  “I’m Prince Finn.”  The crowd parted so that there was nothing but open space between him and Ren.  “What do you want?”

 

Prince Ren smiled.  “I’m here to make you an offer, your highness.”

 

Poe looked around the room.  His guards were all getting into position.  He smiled and nodded at Snap.  _On my signal,_ the gesture said.

 

Finn stepped forward.  “An offer?”

 

Ren stomped forward, only stopping once Poe moved to place himself between the two Princes.  Ren looked the guard up and down with an amused smirk.  “If I meant him harm, he’d already be dead.”

 

“That’s not exactly making me want to back down, your highness,” Poe said, with a tiny nod.  As one, all the members of the Guard stepped forward, swords drawn.

 

Ren closed his eyes and shook his head.  “Your shows of power don’t scare me.”

 

“I might say the exact same thing to you,” Finn said, putting a hand on Poe’s shoulder and walking around him.  He approached Ren.  “Tell me your offer and go.”

 

“Fine!”  Ren turned to his two companions, who both marched over to join him.  “I have it on good authority that you will need to take a consort soon.  Is this correct?”

 

Finn felt a weight in the pit of his stomach, but he kept his chin held high.  “Yes, it is.”

 

“Then, my offer is this.  Join together with me, form an alliance with the Kingdom of Starkiller, and we will spare this kingdom in the war.”

 

“War?”

 

“There’s a war on the horizon,” said the sorcerer Hux.  “Or hadn’t you heard?”

 

Luke shared a worried look with his sister.

 

“So, Prince Finn, what is it to be?  Join with me or doom your kingdom?”

 

Finn forced himself to laugh.  “That’s not much of a choice, is it?”

 

Ren instantly went red with anger.

 

“Besides, I’m afraid you’re too late.”  He turned to look at Poe, his eyes asking a question he should’ve asked long before.

 

Poe blinked in confusion and then, it seemed to click.  He gave Finn the most dazzling smile Finn had ever seen and nodded. 

 

Finn turned back to Ren, “I have already chosen a consort.”

 

“This girl,” Ren said, sneering at Princess Rey and suddenly noticing her hand in the hand of the lady next to her.

 

“No,” Finn said.   “Sir Poe Dameron, head of my guard.”

 

“Him,” Ren asked in disbelief.

 

“Yes, him!”

 

Ren let out an angry screech before turning to Hux.  “You said—”

 

“I said he was not yet married,” Hux said, seething.

 

“Well, he’s engaged!”

 

“You should have gotten here sooner!”

 

“Do something about it,” Ren screamed.

 

With that, Hux stepped forward and lifted his hands.  Poe’s guards ran forward.  Hux hissed and they all went flying backward. 

 

Poe grabbed Finn.  “We need to go,” he said into his ear.

 

The lights in the room started to flicker and there was a deep rumble throughout the space.  Hux was muttering something.

 

“Not until everyone’s safe,” Finn insisted, reaching for a dagger he’d tucked into his boot.

 

Poe let go and yelled out, “Everyone run!”

 

The party-goers started scattering.  Luke, Leia, and Rose all stepped forward and started chanting under their breaths.

 

Poe, Finn, and the guards starting guiding people to safety.

 

Han turned to Rey and Jess, noticing their joined hands.  He barked, “Get her to safety!”

 

They both said _yes_ and started running, helping other party-goers get out.

 

Poe yelled, “Guards, clear the room.”  He grabbed for Finn again.  “Please,” he begged.

 

Finn nodded but just as he stepped forward, a jagged white light shot out of Hux’s hands, enveloping both Poe and Finn.  They rose off the ground.

 

Finn’s hands dug into Poe’s arms, and as he looked up into Poe’s eyes, he was startled to see fear there.  “Poe,” he whispered, grabbing on even more tightly.

 

Poe’s grip on Finn was nearly painful, but Finn didn’t feel it.  Poe pulled Finn close, pressing his lips to Finn’s ear, “Your highness, I need you to know that I love—”

 

There was a terrible noise echoing throughout the castle and then Finn heard the words he’d been repeating earlier in the night echo in his mind: _With final look, a last embrace, from my heart, this love erase…_

Whatever held them was starting to pull them in opposite directions.  Finn felt Poe’s hands scrambling to keep ahold of him.

 

As his eyes locked onto Poe’s again, he suddenly felt cold, and then, in a moment of panic, he realized his spell was taking effect.  “No,” he called out, digging his fingers into Poe’s shirt.  “No,” he screamed.  “I didn’t mean it!”

 

The force of the wind was pulling Poe out of his hands.  “I didn’t mean it!”

 

He kept grabbing, but Poe was slipping further and further away.  “Poe,” he screamed.

 

“Poe!”

 

His breath caught as Poe was ripped from his hands.

 

The terror on Poe’s face was nothing compared to the hollow feeling rising in Finn’s chest as he felt all the love drain out of him.

 

**# # # #**

 

Hux’s voice carried throughout the space,

 

_Once close,_

_will separated be_

_and will lose their memory._

_One in harsh sands._

_One in cruel snow._

_Ever parted,_

_this Finn and Poe!_

 

The entire castle started to shake as Poe and Finn began floating higher and higher, the light surrounding them getting more and more bright.

 

Leia and Rose each grabbed one of Luke’s arms as he shouted into the din, “No!”

 

He muttered something in Latin and threw his arms up at Poe and Finn before, in a bright flash of green light, the two of them disappeared.

 

Hux shrieked and started forward.  Luke pointed his hands at the other sorcerer, who froze.

 

“This isn’t over, Skywalker,” Hux sneered.

 

“No, it isn’t,” Luke said.

 

Hux, Phasma, and Ren then disappeared in a woosh of smoke.

 

**# # # #**

 

The quiet that followed was unsettling.  Everyone looked around, expecting to see rubble, but the castle was fine.

 

Han walked over and took his wife into his arms.  “Are you,” he asked.

 

She nodded.

 

As he pulled her into a hug, he looked over at Luke.  “You?”

 

Luke nodded, turning away before he could feel the familiar flare of jealousy at seeing Leia in Han’s arms.

 

“Rose,” Luke asked.  “You?”

 

Rose nodded.  “I’m fine.”  She frowned.  “But what happened to…”

 

Suddenly, there were a number of footsteps.  Rey and Jess and most of the Prince’s Guard ran into the room.

 

“What happened,” Snap demanded.

 

Luke took a deep breath.  “Hux tried to curse Poe and Finn so that they’d never see each other again.  I couldn’t break the curse.”

 

“What,” Jess asked, the despair clear in her voice.

 

“But,” Luke continued, “I could alter it a bit.”  He looked to Leia and Rose.  “With their help, of course.”

 

Bastian bumped his shoulder into Rose’s and leaned in.  “Did we know you were a sorcerer?”

 

“No,” she said, smiling at him.  “Can’t go telling you all my secrets.”

 

“How did you alter it,” Iolo asked.

 

“Well, they’re gone, obviously.  My guess, from the wording of the curse is that one is in a desert—”

 

“Probably Jakku,” Leia said.

 

“Junkyard,” Han muttered.

 

“—and the other is somewhere snowy,” Luke finished.

 

“Hoth,” Karé asked.

 

“Or Starkiller,” Jess said, hoping she was wrong.

 

“And that’s not the worst of it,” Luke said.

 

“Great,” Iolo said.  “It gets worse.”

 

“They have lost some of their memories.”

 

“What,” Snap demanded.

 

“That was part of Hux’s curse—they were supposed to forget each other forever,” Luke said.  “I tempered that.  They won’t remember each other when they’re awake, but they’ll have their full memories in their dreams.  And, if I did my counter-spell correctly, they’ll actually be able to communicate then.”

 

“Will they remember us?  This place,” Rey asked.

 

Luke sighed.  “I don’t know.  And…”

 

“And,” Snap demanded.  “There’s more?”

 

“There was another spell in there.  Something…”  Luke shook his head.  “Someone else cast a spell on the Prince, something…”  Luke looked up.  “I’m fairly certain we have more than one curse on our hands.”

 

“Kriff,” Jess said.

 

“Exactly,” the Queen said.  “Kriff.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Everyone started moving towards the Regent’s chambers when Jess grabbed Rey’s arm and drug her into a small alcove.

 

Han walked by, pretending not to notice and making sure to distract his wife as the rest of the group continued down the hall.

 

“Ummmm,” Jess started.  _Think of something to say, you idiot!  You just drug a Princess into a dark corner!_ “Before all of the…”

 

“Mess,” Rey said.

 

“Yes, before all of the mess, you and I were…”  _about to kiss?_ Jess blushed.

 

Rey smiled.  “You’re beautiful when you’re flustered.”

 

Jess closed her eyes and let out a long breath.  “And you’re simply beautiful.”

 

Rey laughed.  “Thank you.”  She reached up and cupped Jess’ cheek.  Jess’ eyes flew open.  “I was about to kiss you.  I don’t know what you were about to do.”

 

“Oh, I was about to kiss you too.”

 

“Good,” Rey said.

 

“Yeah,” Jess agreed.

 

Neither moved.  Neither spoke.

 

After a few seconds, Rey said, “It seems to me that we’re in a secluded alcove, by ourselves, and that we’re probably not going to get too many more opportunities tonight to…”

 

“Oh yeah, right.  Kissing,” Jess said.  _Do I always sound this idiotic?_  

 

Rey leaned in.  “That is if you still want to?”

 

Jess pressed her lips to Rey’s. 

 

Rey immediately tangled her hand in Jess’ hair.  Jess moaned and wrapped her hands around the Princess’ waist.

 

The kiss quickly moved from sweet and light into something much more insistent, so it wasn’t really either of their faults that neither heard Lady Kun until she was standing right next to them.  She cleared her throat.

 

Then, she cleared it again.

 

Finally, she barked, “Jess!”

 

The two jerked apart.

 

“Kriff,” Jess said, wiping her arm across her mouth.  “Give a girl some warning.”

 

“I’ve been standing here for a full minute,” Karé said.  She turned to the Princess.  “Your mother was concerned.”

 

“Kriff, mother.”  Rey looked at Jess with worried eyes.

 

Jess took her hand.  “Don’t worry.  We can handle your mother.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Luke looked around the room.  “We have two major problems,” he said.

 

“Only two,” Iolo muttered.  Snap slapped his arm.

 

Luke continued, “The Prince and Sir Dameron are missing.  That’s the first problem.  We’re going to need to send out groups to look for them, but we can’t be sure where.”

 

“And the second problem,” Han asked.

 

“Ben was threatening war,” Luke said.

 

“Yeah, can we back up for a moment and ask about that,” Bastian asked.  “Is Kylo Ren your son, your majesty?”

 

The Queen nodded.  “He fell under the influence of Snoke years ago, and we tried to get him back, but…”

 

Han wrapped an arm around his wife.  “Luke, what do we need to do to fix this?”

 

“We’ll need to form a search party to find the Prince and one for Sir Dameron, of course, but we’ll also need people here, preparing to defend D’Qar.”

 

“I should return to Alderaan,” Leia said.  “If Snoke means to lash out at you, chances are good he means to hit your allies as well.  We should send messages to the Kingdoms of Jakku, Yavin, and Takodana as well.”

 

Luke nodded.  “Can you take care of that?”

 

She nodded.  “I’ll start packing this instant.” 

 

She rose, but Han stayed seated.  “I’ll help in the search for the Prince,” he said.  “If either he or Sir Dameron are in a desert, the chances are good it’s Jakku, and I’m guessing I’ve had more experience there than anyone else.”

 

“It could be Tatooine,” Luke said quietly.  “And I know Tatooine.”

 

“Yes,” Han said, “but you’re needed here.  I’m not.  So, I’ll try Jakku and then Tatooine.”

 

“I’m coming with you,” Snap said.

 

“No,” Luke said.  “With Poe gone, you’re the new head of the Prince’s Guard.”

 

“With all due respect,” Snap said, “there is no Prince to guard.”

 

“But there is a castle,” Luke said.

 

Snap nodded, clearly unhappy but well aware of his rank.  “Who else is going to stay here,” he asked.

 

“The Princess and I will help with the preparations to defend D’Qar,” Jess said.

 

“We will,” Rey muttered.

 

Jess turned to her.  “Won’t we?”

 

Rey smiled and then turned to Luke.  “Yes, we will.”

 

“Are we gonna talk about this,” Han asked, nodding at their joined hands.

 

“Um,” Rey said.  “Mother, Father, may I introduce Lady Jess.”  She turned to Jess.  “Lady Jess, these are my parents, Her Royal Majesty, Leia Organa, Queen of Alderaan and Han Solo.”

 

“Prince Consort Han Solo,” Han said, reaching out a hand.  “Nice to meet you.”

 

Jess smiled and rose, curtseying to the pair.  She then shook Han’s hand.

 

Leia raised an eyebrow and shared a look with her husband.  “Ummmm?”

 

“She’s my girlfriend,” Rey explained.

 

Jess let out a truly undignified squeak and blushed.

 

Several of the guards grinned.

 

Luke couldn’t help his smile, either.  “Well, now that we have Princess Rey and future consort Jess helping me and Snap here in D’Qar, and her majesty going back to Alderaan, it just remains to figure out who is going to search for the Prince and Sir Dameron.”

 

Rose said, “I should go with Prince Consort Han Solo.” 

 

Han smirked.  “Han is fine, kid.”

 

“I should go with Han.  Just in case we run into trouble, I can protect him.”

 

Han snorted, but secretly, he admired the young sorcerer’s moxie.

 

“I’ll go with them,” Bastian said and when they both shot him a look, he added, “You need one member of the Prince’s Guard with you, okay?”

 

“Fine,” Han said.  “But that’s it.  I’m not running a damn babysitting service.”

 

Bastian snorted.  “Yeah, right.  _You_ babysitting me,” he muttered.

 

“Children,” Leia warned.

 

“Then, I think that Iolo and I should go north, towards Hoth and Starkiller,” Karé said.

 

“Good.  It’s settled.  Everyone leaves in the morning.”  Luke looked around.  “Be careful.  Snoke has never been quite so brazen before, and I’ve got to imagine he has more attacks planned.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Finn woke up to grit in his mouth and sweat pouring down his neck.  _What?_   His brain felt fuzzy.  He pushed up, immediately squinting in the far too bright light.  _Where in the kriff am I?_

 

And then the more disturbing thoughts, _why am I here?_

_And who am I?_

 

Finn scrambled so that he was standing.  He turned slowly, surveying the landscape—nothing but sand as far as he could see.

 

Something was pressing at the back of his mind _.  There’s something I’m forgetting._

 

And he couldn’t shake the hollow feeling in his chest, like something was missing.

 

He took a breath.  _I know my name is Finn.  I know my parents’ names, and that I’m from a place that isn’t here, but…_

 

Nothing else came.

 

_Oh kriff, this is bad._

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe was shivering and every part of him hurt.  He pushed up, panting, his hands burning in the snow.  He looked around.  Snow fell all around him.  He got to his feet, rubbing his hands together and searching his surroundings.  It was a dark, wooded area.

 

“Hello,” he called out.

 

“Hello,” he tried again.

 

He crossed his arms and started jumping from foot to foot.  _Where am I?_

 

He walked in a small circle, looking for any sign of a home or a shelter or other people and saw nothing but darkness, snow, and trees.  _Why in the kriff am I here?_

 

And then, _where is here?_

 

_And who am I?_

 

“Kriff,” he said.  “Hello!  Can anyone help me?” 

 

He knew his name was Poe.  He knew he could ride a horse and handle a sword and…  _There’s someone I need to protect._

 

He turned, desperately trying to figure out which direction might lead to just a bit of warmth for the night.  Eventually, he began heading south, hoping against hope that as he walked, his memories would return.

 

Poe shivered as the wind picked up, praying that this was all just a bad dream.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Sunday, speaking of dreams...


	5. The Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to start meeting new people. First up, Finn's adventures in the desert...

 

 

Finn simply picked a direction and started walking, knowing that the chances were good he was going to die in the desert.

 

As it turned out, though, luck was on his side.

 

Finn felt like crying as he spied the small town in the distance.  He looked up at the heavens.  _Thank you_ , he said to the universe.  _Thank you so much_.

 

He wandered into the town just as the sun was dipping below the horizon.  He felt in his pocket—there was a bag of coins there—and he suddenly remembered his father telling him to always have coins handy.  “You never know when you’ll meet another being in need,” he’d said.

 

Finn grasped the bag tightly.  _And tonight, that’s me._

 

There wasn’t much to this place: a few structures, a small market, and what looked to be a meagre church.  Finn weighed his options and decided on the church.  He walked up, knocked on the door, and waited.

 

And waited.

 

And waited.

 

Just as he was about to give up, the door crept open and a small, wizened man with more hair in his ears than on his head poked his head out.  He blinked as he took in Finn.  “A stranger, you are.”

 

“Uh, yes,” Finn said.  “I’m…  I’m lost.”

 

The old man nodded.  “Shelter you seek?”

 

“Yes,” Finn said.  He held out a gold coin.  “I can pay.”

 

The old man seemed to consider it for a moment before he opened the door, shaking his head.  He had a small, twisted cane, which he now used to point to a box at the side of the sanctuary.  _A poor box._   Finn walked over and slipped the coin (and then two more) in.  He followed the old man, who hobbled towards the front of the small sanctuary.  “Not much I can offer,” the man said, “but…” He used his cane again, pointing to one of the pews.  “Served me well, these have.” 

 

Finn smiled.  “It’s perfect, sir.”

 

“Father Yoda,” the man replied. 

 

“Good to meet you, Father.  I’m Finn.”

 

“Hungry?”

 

“Stars, yes,” Finn said.  “And parched.”

 

The old man smiled and nodded, “Quite the story you have, I’m sure.”  They moved to a room just off the sanctuary where Yoda fed Finn while Finn told him his perplexing tale.

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe couldn’t remember ever being this cold in his life.

 

 _But as I can’t remember my life_ , _who knows,_ he thought.  He tried to laugh at the joke but the wind whipped the snow into his face and the sound came out as more of a groan.  He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to suck in a breath from between clenched teeth.  He kept promising himself he was going to find some kind of shelter, but it had been hours, and it had only been snow and darkness and trees.

 

Poe’s whole body was sluggish, and he knew that if he didn’t find something soon, he was going to die.

 

And beyond the fear of that, he kept thinking that if he died without…  _There’s something I’m supposed to do, or tell someone or…_  There was something unfinished.  _I can’t die yet._

 

And that’s when he spotted it—a rock jutting out from the trees and then, another and…  Poe stumbled forward and nearly cried when he saw a small cave in the rocks.  _Oh thank the maker!_

 

His knees almost gave out as he made it inside.  It wasn’t much, and he didn’t have the energy to make a fire, but it would keep the snow and the wind off of him.  Poe went back as far as he could and fell onto the floor.  He wrapped his arms around himself.  _Just going to close my eyes for a few minutes.  Just a little rest…_

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe awoke in the castle garden at night.  He was completely alone but there were lanterns everywhere—they seemed to float just above his head, casting the space in a beautiful orange light.

 

He smiled and tried to touch one but it floated out of his reach.

 

And then, he realized, _I’m Poe, head of the Prince’s Guard of D’Qar and…_

 

It all came roaring back: the ball, meeting Finn in the garden, Kylo Ren and Hux…

 

“Your highness,” he screamed.  “Your highness!”  He looked around the garden frantically.

 

“Poe?”  Suddenly, Finn was there, standing right in front of him.

 

Poe rushed forward.  “Your highness?”   He grabbed the Prince.  “Oh, buddy!  I’m so glad to see you.  You have no idea—”

 

“I woke up in the desert, and I couldn’t remember who I was and…”  He looked at Poe and he trailed off.  “Poe,” he said, a smile crossing his face.  “Kriff, it’s good to see you.”

 

Poe leaned forward, pulling the Prince closer and putting his forehead on Finn’s.  “You have no idea.”

 

Finn pushed away from Poe and backed up.  “Ummmm.”  He looked at Poe like he was crazy.

 

Poe reached for him and Finn backed up even further.  “I think you forget yourself, Sir Dameron.”

 

 _Sir Dameron?_   “Your highness?”  Poe knew he hadn’t imagined what had happened in the garden or Finn’s declaration just before Hux cast his spell.  He stepped forward.  “What’s wrong?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

 _Something is off_.  Poe had a sinking suspicion this was part of Hux’s curse.  “Do you remember what you said just before Hux started to curse us?”

 

Finn cocked his head.  He’d remembered arguing with Ren and then…  “Did I tell Ren I was going to marry you?”  He burst out laughing.  “I did, didn’t I?  Why in the kriff would I do that?  Can you imagine?  _Me_ marry _you_?”

 

Poe felt as if someone had stabbed him in the chest.  “So…that was a lie?”

 

Finn’s features softened into something Poe could only take to be pity.  “Oh, Poe, I’m so sorry!  I had no idea that you’d take me seriously.  I was just…”

 

Poe held up his hand, shaking his head, willing the tears not to come.  “No, your highness.  No worries.”  He walked away from the Prince.  _This is what you get for allowing yourself to hope_.

 

“Sir Dameron,” Finn started.  “I am truly sorry if I—”

 

“No,” Poe snapped, spinning back around.  It was the first time in his life he’d raised his voice with the Prince, and it felt so wrong.  He worked to make himself sound calm: “I said no worries and I meant it.  I’m the head of your guard.  It was overstepping my bounds to even consider…”  Poe walked back to Finn’s side.  “I will always be here to serve you, your highness.” 

 

Poe bowed and then stood at attention. 

 

Finn smiled.  _He’s a good guard.  Even if he gets carried away from time to time_.  He opened his mouth to start outlining a plan to get them both back to D’Qar when he swayed just a bit on his feet.

 

Poe reached his hand out to steady him but quickly snatched it back, standing at attention.  _He doesn’t love me.  Never has.  Never will_.

 

Finn’s head felt light.  _Something isn’t right…_ He turned to tell Poe as much and something about the stiffness of his guard hit Finn squarely in the chest. 

 

Finn looked into the other man’s eyes and saw none of the usual playfulness there. Poe looked like any other guard in his employ.  _That’s not Poe_. 

 

_This…this isn’t what I wanted._

 

_But I wanted something…_

 

“I didn’t mean it,” he muttered, as if remembering something from a dream.

 

And that hollowness in his chest he’d felt earlier returned, but this time, he could almost hear a rhyme in the back of his head, like a children’s song or a spell.

 

_A spell?_

 

He remembered a leather-bound book and a dark stone passage.

 

_I just wanted to stop feeling so sad._

 

A warning that love was its own magic.

 

_I didn’t…_

A garden.  Poe was in his arms and he realized that he couldn’t do it.

 

_I didn’t want this._

 

People screaming at the ball and Poe slipping from his grasp.

 

_This is all wrong._

 

Finn stepped forward, staring at the soldier in front of him.  “Before Ren, before all of that, when we were in the garden…”

 

Poe could hear the uncertainty in the Prince’s voice, but he kept his chin up and his eyes forward _.  I’m his guard.  Nothing else._   “Yes, your highness?”

 

“In the garden…”  Finn looked up at Poe, studying him.  _This isn’t Poe.  This…  Poe doesn’t stand at attention with me.  He’s…_

 

Poe felt himself being scrutinized.  He wanted to scream.  He kept waiting for the Prince to look away, to lose interest.  _Please stop staring at me._

_It hurts too much._

Poe blinked and he could feel his muscles start to shake as he forced himself to stand as ram-rod straight as possible and not meet the Prince’s eye.

 

“I was going to tell you…”  Finn shook his head, feeling woozy.  “I was going to tell you…”  He remembered the spellbook, the desperate need to end his heartache, and he remembered facing Poe in the gardens and forgetting all of that when he stared into Poe’s eyes. 

 

 _Poe’s eyes_ —he thought back to the way that Poe always looked at him over the years, the spark that was there, the secret little something that Poe always seemed to reserve just for him and him alone.  _He loves me_ , Finn realized.

 

_Kriff.  He really does love me._

 

“You love me,” Finn said.

 

Poe’s breathing stuttered.  He allowed himself to close his eyes.  _Why are you doing this to me?_

 

“You do,” Finn said.

 

Poe opened his eyes and hoped they could say everything he didn’t trust himself to say—not without his voice breaking.  _Please don’t make me say it.  Not now.  Not like this_.  Poe’s fingernails were digging into the soft skin of his palms as he willed himself not to cry.

 

“Dameron?”

 

“Yes,” Poe whispered.  He wanted to run, to run and never look back.  He could feel a single tear work its way down his cheek.

 

Finn watched the tear roll down the other man’s cheek and it inspired the single most wretched feeling Finn had had since his parents died.  _I’ve hurt him._

_I never want to hurt him._

_I only…_

 

And then, Finn remembered.  _I was facing him in the garden and_...“I was going to tell you that I love you.”

 

Poe’s façade fell just a bit.  “What?”

 

“I love you,” Finn said, as if it were a new discovery.

 

And like that, he felt the spell he’d cast on himself fade away.  The hollowness disappeared, replaced by a warmth—the same warmth he always felt around Poe.  “I was going to tell you that I love you,” he said much more forcefully.

 

Poe couldn’t stand up straight any longer.  He crumpled onto a nearby bench.  _It’s a trick_.  He was freely crying now.  He started shaking his head.  _It’s some despicable trick_.  “But you just said…”

 

“Poe!”  Poe flinched as Finn stepped forward.  Finn reached for Poe, hating that Poe tried to move away from his touch.  “Oh gracious, Poe, No.  I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean to yell.  But before, that wasn’t really me.  I mean, it was me, but that isn’t how I feel.”

 

Poe shook his head.  “What?”  Tears were leaking from his eyes and the sight of them made Finn want to scream.

 

“It wasn’t really me speaking earlier.”

 

“You mean, you don’t love me?”  Poe felt as if he was being tossed around by invisible winds.  He forced himself to stand, furtively trying to wipe his eyes.

 

“No!  I mean, yes.”  Finn shook his head and walked up to Poe, grabbing him by the shoulders.  He looked him square in the eye.  “Poe, I love you.  I’ve been in love with you most of my life, but I was miserable because I thought you didn’t love me.”

 

“Huh,” Poe whispered, hardly believing what he was hearing.

 

“I thought you didn’t love me back, so I might’ve borrowed one of Luke’s spellbooks and tried to cast a spell to fall out of love with you?”

 

“You what,” Poe demanded, his eyes wide.

 

“I might have cast a little _falling out of love_ spell.”

 

Poe’s tears stopped and there was clear anger in his voice.  “Do you know how kriffing dangerous that is?  What if something had gone wrong?  What if you’d hurt yourself?”

 

“I’m perfectly able of taking care of myself!”

 

“Yeah, that’s obvious, seeing as how two minutes ago you were letting me down easy and now you’re telling me you’re in love with me.”  Poe stopped yelling as that sunk in.  “Wait.”  He closed his eyes and let out a long breath.  He wiped his eyes again.  “So, all of that just now—that was the spell talking?”  Poe opened his eyes and felt himself lean forward.  “You love me?”  He’d never been so hopeful in all his life.

 

“Yes,” Finn said in a tiny voice.

 

“You really love me?”

 

Finn chuckled.  “Yes!”

 

Poe burst into a wide grin and he was crying again, but this time in joy.  “Oh, stars, your highness, I love you too.”  He surged forward, pressing his lips to Finn’s.

 

Finn sighed into the kiss.   He’d been dreaming about this moment since he was ten and… 

 

 _Dreaming,_ he thought suddenly.  _We’re dreaming_.  He pushed out of the kiss.  “Dammit.”

 

“What,” Poe muttered, leaning forward, trying to chase Finn’s lips.

 

“This is a kriffing dream, isn’t it?”

 

“What,” Poe said, opening his eyes and trying to catch up.

 

Finn spun around, surveying the gardens.  “I mean, this isn’t quite right, is it?”  He pointed at one of the lanterns literally floating above their heads.

 

Poe stopped and studied their surroundings.  “Kriff,” he said.  _He’s right._   “Krifing kriff kriff kriff!”  _Just my luck!_ “Come on,” he suddenly screamed at the heavens.  “Why can’t I have just one kriffing kiss?”

 

Poe turned to Finn, “So you’re saying that you’re a figment of my imagination?”

 

“Actually, I think you’re a figment of mine.”

 

Poe laughed.  “No, buddy.  I’m pretty sure this is _my_ dream.”  He muttered, “Pretty sure I’ve had it before.”

 

Finn pressed his lips together, thinking.  “Okay, so, Ren and Hux attacked us and then, I woke up in the desert and couldn’t remember who I was.”

 

“And I woke up in the middle of a kriffing blizzard.  I knew my name was Poe, but I couldn’t remember anything about you or D’Qar.”

 

“But now, we’re here and we can remember everything.”  Finn shook his head.

 

Poe suddenly laughed.  “Luke!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Luke and the Queen and Rose were all chanting when Hux cursed us.  They must’ve done something, so that we remember each other in our dreams.”

 

“So, you’re really Poe?”

 

Poe stepped up to the Prince.  “Yes.”  He smiled.  “And that means you’re really the Prince.”

 

“Yes, it does.”

 

Poe put his hand on Finn’s chest and burst into a wide grin as he realized what the Prince was wearing.  “That’s my jacket.”

 

Finn looked down at himself.  “So it is.”  He looked back up at Poe.  “Guess that must mean something, right?”

 

“It must,” Poe said, leaning in.

 

Finn pressed a finger to Poe’s lips.

 

“What,” Poe mumbled.

 

“Maybe we should talk about our situation before we start kissing again?”

 

“Your highness,” Poe whined.  “I’ve just spent hours nearly freezing to death.  Then, I had the man I’ve loved for most of my life tell me he didn’t love me, only to then tell me it was a spell he’d put on himself and that he really did love me.  It’s been a trying day.  Can I please kiss you for a few minutes?  Pleeeeeease?”

 

Finn laughed.  “Fine, Sir Dameron, but then we need to talk about our situation and try to make a plan for how we’re getting back to D’Qar.”

 

“Yes, your highness,” Poe said, letting his eyes fall closed as he leaned in for another kiss.

 

**# # # #**

 

“This isn’t the way to Jakku,” Bastian said as they pointed their horses to the south.

 

“No, it ain’t,” Han said.  “But we’re not going to Jakku.”

 

“The whole point is to go to Jakku,” Bastian said.

 

“No,” Han said.  “The whole point is to find Finn or Poe, and to do that, we’re gonna need some help.”

 

“Help,” Rose asked.

 

“Yeah,” Han said, “someone who knows everyone.  Trust me, kid, if either of them has turned up in the desert, she will know about it.”

 

Rose and Bastian shared a look before Bastian finally shrugged.  “Whatever you say, Prince Consort Solo.”

 

Han groaned and nudged his horse forward, “Come on, Chewie.”  _Kriffing babysitting!_

 

**# # # #**

 

Finn awoke slowly, and he smiled—there were the wisps of the most wonderful dream lingering just at the edges of his memory, and the more he came awake, the more he tried to grab at them.

 

But alas, they were just out of reach.

 

Finn pushed himself up with a sigh.  Even though it was just a dream, he felt like he’d lost something important.

 

“Such a sour face,” Father Yoda said, hobbling towards him.

 

“It’s just that…”  Finn shook his head, rubbing his hands over his face to try to wake up.  “I’m forgetting something important.”

 

The Father studied him for a moment before saying, “That you are.”  He motioned for Finn to follow him.  “Come.  Much to do and very little time.”

 

The small, wrinkled man took Finn back into the side room where a bowl of porridge waited.  As Finn eagerly ate, the Father told him that he was in a small town on the outskirts of Jakku called Dagobah.  He then explained that Dagobah’s only real claim to fame was that it was one of a very few stops across the desert—a small oasis in an otherwise unforgiving terrain.

 

“A miracle,” he said, “that found us, you did.”

 

That chilled Finn’s blood.  He let his spoon drop to his bowl as he thought of what might have happened had he chosen another path in the desert.

 

The Father snorted and rose.  “Does no good,” he said, “dwelling on what might have been.”  He cleared their bowls and started back out to the sanctuary.  “Arriving soon,” he said.

 

“What?”

 

“A merchant.  Take you to Takodana, he will.”

 

“Takodana?”

 

The old man turned and smiled.  “Yes, Takodana.”

 

The name sounded familiar but Finn couldn’t place it.  “What’s in Takodana?”

 

“An old friend,” the man said.  He started for the front door.  “Help you, she will.”  He threw open the door, smiling at the new day.

 

“How can she help me,” Finn asked, standing beside the old man and watching as the citizens of Dagobah began setting up their market stalls.

 

“Has her ways, she does,” he said.  “Has her ways.”  He chuckled and started down the steps as a well-dressed man with a beautiful blue cape and a dazzling smile approached them.

 

“Father,” the man said, stooping down to hug the old priest.  “How are you?”

 

“Good.  Good.”  He turned and pointed to Finn with his cane.  “Have a favor to ask.”

 

The man eyed Finn up and down and then offered him a hand.  “Lando Calrissian.”

 

“Finn.”

 

“Finn?”

 

“Just Finn.”

 

“Forgotten, he has.  Needs Maz’s help, he does.”

 

“Oh,” Lando said.  “You want me to take him to Takodana?”

 

“Yes,” the Father said.  “Today.”

 

“Today?  But I still have…”

 

The old man leveled a serious stare at the merchant, who suddenly threw up both of his hands, saying, “Fine!”  He turned to Finn.  “I guess we’re leaving today.”

 

“Good,” Father Yoda said, slowly climbing the steps and retreating into the sanctuary.  “Very good.”

 

Finn turned and whispered to Lando, “Is he always like that?  With the…”  Finn didn’t know quite how to put it into words.

 

Lando chuckled and nodded.  “Always.  Father Yoda is…unique.” 

 

From the door of the church, the Father called back.  “Go now, you will!”

 

Lando slapped Finn on the back.  “I guess we have our orders.  Bye, Father!”

 

“Goodbye, Father Yoda!”

 

They heard the Father mutter something as he closed the door.

 

Lando tugged on Finn’s arm.  “Come on, we’d better go get my wagon ready.  We’ll need to leave now if we want to reach Takodana by a reasonable time tomorrow.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Karé frowned as they pressed forward.

 

“What,” Iolo asked.

 

“It’s just that…”  She turned to her friend.  “If one of them is in Hoth or Starkiller,” she shook her head.  “They were wearing clothes for a ball, Iolo.”

 

He clenched his jaw and nodded.  He’d been thinking about that too.  “Look, Poe is a trained soldier, and the Prince is just as well trained.  Even if they can’t remember each other, they’ll be fine.”  _I hope_ , he added in his mind.

 

Karé nodded and urged her horse to go just a bit faster.  “How much longer to Jedha?”  It was a small town that bordered the mountains.  It would be their last stop before going first to Hoth and then to Starkiller.

 

“Another day or so?”

 

Karé shook her head.  “Then, come on!  We don’t have any time to waste!”

 

**# # # #**

 

They’d been riding for a few hours through the desert when Lando turned and looked behind them.  He spat out an expletive and muttered, “Uh-oh.”

 

Finn turned quickly.  “Uh-oh?  Why uh-oh?”

 

There was a group of riders fast approaching.

 

“Guavian death gang,” Lando said, urging his horses to go faster.

 

“Guavian death gang?  Wait, Guavian _death_ gang?  Are you serious?”

 

“I wouldn’t make something like that up, kid.”

 

“So, what do we do?”

 

Lando nodded ahead.  “See that canyon?  If we can make it there before they get to us, we stand a chance.  It’s tight, which means they won’t be able to flank us, and it’s technically in Hutt territory, which they don’t like.”

 

“Do I want to know who the Hutts are?”

 

“You really don’t.”

 

“Okay,” Finn said, turning around so he could watch the four riders approach.  “So we just need to hold them off long enough to reach the canyon.  We can do that,” Finn said, digging under the seat.  “You have any weapons?”

 

Lando laughed.  “Under the seat.”

 

Finn felt around through various clubs and swords and then…  He smiled.  He pulled out a crossbow.  “This’ll do.”

 

“You know how to work one of those things?”

 

Finn smiled.  “Yeah.  I don’t know how or why, but yeah, I can use it.”  He grabbed some bolts, loaded the bow and got ready.

 

Lando shook his head.  “I hope you know what you’re doing, kid.”

 

Finn’s concentration was focused on the riders behind them.  “I do.”  He then added, “And don’t call me kid.”

 

Lando laughed.  “Whatever you say, Finn.  Whatever you say.”

 

# # # #

 

Poe woke up feeling good.  He’d had an absolutely delicious dream, and he wished he could remember it, but even so, he felt warm and safe and… _Loved_ , he thought to himself.

 

Then, he opened his eyes and remembered where he was. 

 

_Kriff._

 

He pushed himself up with a groan.  All his joints ached and his stomach growled in hunger.  He looked outside.  It was light out and it had stopped snowing, but the prospect of wading through the snow for several more hours was not tempting at all.

 

_I can’t stay here, though._

 

He took in a long breath.  _There will be more shelter if I just keep on going._

 

He winced as he started forward, not sure he really believed that.

 

**# # # #**

 

“Yah,” Lando yelled at the horses.  “Come on!”  They were so close, he could taste it.  He managed a quick look back and saw that the kid… _Finn_ had already managed to unseat two of the Guavians.  _Okay, he can certainly shoot._

 

Lando smiled.  _We might just make it out of this alive._  

 

His smile fell as he felt an arrow whiz past his head.  _Or maybe not._

 

Finn kept the rider with the bow in his sights.  _He’s good_ , Finn thought _, but I’m better_.  He took in a deep breath, held it, and pulled the trigger.  The bolt flew straight and true and the rider grasped his shoulder just before he tumbled off his horse.

 

“YEAH,” Finn yelled.  “That’s what I’m talking about.”  He turned to Lando.  “One left.”

 

“Good.  We’ll be in the canyon in another minute or so,” Lando yelled.

 

Finn nodded, all his concentration on the last rider.  He loaded the bolt and a strange sense of calm came over him _.  I’ve been trained to do this_ , he thought, wondering if he were a knight or guard or something. 

 

The rider was getting close.

 

“Focus,” he whispered to himself.  He took a deep breath, held it, and waited.

 

A moment later, Lando heard a loud whoop and watched as Finn turned around and sank back down in his seat.  “We’re good,” Finn said.

 

Lando looked back behind them as they entered the canyon.  “Who _are_ you?”

 

Finn laughed.  “That seems to be the question of the day.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe walked for hours without seeing much more than a few clumps of rocks to break up the monotony of trees and snow.

 

As the sun dipped below the horizon, he realized his steps were becoming erratic _.  I’m not gonna make it, am I?_

 

He started leaning over.  _No!  I have to keep going.  I have to make it back to…_

 

There was a name on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn’t grasp it.

 

_Please, maker, I don’t want to die out here._

 

Poe took two more steps before he collapsed in the snow.

 

**# # # #**

 

“Poe,” Finn said, rushing forward.

 

“Ah, kriff, your highness,” Poe said, falling into Finn’s arms.  _Thank the maker for these dreams!_

 

“Maybe you could start calling me _Finn_ now.”  Poe felt limp in his arms.  “Poe,” Finn asked, concern in his eyes.

 

“I’m sorry, your highness.”

 

“What?”

 

“I don’t think…  I think I’m dead, your highness.”

 

“What?”  Finn searched Poe’s eyes for the joke and then shook his head.  “No.  No.  NO!"  Finn looked a bit frantic as he said, "No, if you were dead, you couldn’t be here.  Dreams are for the living, Poe.  You aren’t dead.”  He said it as much to convince himself as Poe.

 

“But I don’t think I’m going to—”

 

“Don’t finish that thought.  Whatever is happening to you, you are going to make it.  You’re going to find a way out and you’re going to come back to D’Qar and find me and then we are going to get married and rule the kingdom and kick Kylo Ren’s ass.”

 

Poe laughed.  “I’d like that.”

 

“That’s what’s going to happen.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

“No,” Finn said.  “As your future king, I’m ordering you.  You have to come and find me.”

 

Poe smiled a sad smile.  “Yes, your majesty.”

 

“I do not give you permission to die, Poe Dameron.  I forbid it.  Do you hear me?  I forbid it.”

 

Poe pulled Finn into a hug.  “Yes, love.”  But even in Finn’s arms, Poe worried that this was one promise he might not be able to keep.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no!
> 
> Will Poe be okay?
> 
> Well, on Wednesday, we'll find out. 
> 
> And SQUEE!!!! More new friends! In particular, friends I'm excited to finally get to... Did I mention SQUEE!!!!


	6. The Rathtars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe makes some new friends; Finn and Lando try to figure out what’s going on; and Hux would really like it if Ren would just shut the kriff up!
> 
> Oh, and there might be some rathtars...

 

 

“Baze!”

 

“What?”

 

“Baze!”

 

“What?”

 

“Baze!”

 

Baze Malbus was a patient man—he really was—but Chirrut Îmwe knew how to push every single one of his buttons and currently, Baze could hear the pure delight in Chirrut’s voice as he tried to push all of them.  Chirrut knew his arms were full of wood, that the storm was picking up, and that the light was quickly fading.  He also knew that he had Baze wrapped around his little finger.  Baze sighed.  “Yes, Chirrut?”

 

“You need to come.”

 

Baze closed his eyes.  _No, I don’t._   He opened them and looked at the pile of wood he was carrying, the pile it had taken several hours to gather, and then he looked up into the snow that was falling much heavier now than it had been when they’d started this little trip.  “Really, or is this another—”

 

“There’s someone here.”

 

That made the large man’s blood run cold.  They were supposed to be alone on their little mountainside.  He dropped the firewood and ran to Chirrut’s side, deftly scampering over fallen limbs and ducking under branches.  He stopped next to his husband and looked around, his weapon drawn.  “Where?”

 

Chirrut’s long cane jutted out in front of them and there, so covered in snow it would’ve been easy to miss, was a body. 

 

Baze turned to his husband.  Even though Chirrut had been blind for decades, Baze knew that he had a sixth sense about things— _Well, he is a sorcerer_ , Baze thought to himself.  _That has to help._

 

“He’s still alive,” Chirrut said.  “Barely.”

 

Baze crept forward.  It didn’t feel like a trick, but this close to Starkiller, they couldn’t take any chances.

 

“It isn’t a trick,” Chirrut said. 

 

Baze huffed out, “Stop that.”

 

“Stop thinking so loudly, then.”

 

Baze let out another huff.

 

“He’s a friend, I think,” Chirrut said.

 

Baze shook his head.  _We’ll see._   He kneeled next to the body and pushed the man over.  The sight that greeted him was strange.  “He’s dressed for a party.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Fancy clothes.  No coat.”

 

Chirrut nodded.  “Magic.”

 

Baze muttered a few choice expletives.  “But he’s no sorcerer,” Baze asked, groaning as he reached down to pick the man up.

 

“No,” Chirrut said.  “He’s run afoul of one.”

 

Baze paused.  “Hux?”  He hoped his voice didn’t betray his fear.

 

“Most likely,” Chirrut said, starting towards their cabin.

 

“Kriff,” Baze said.  He looked at the man in his arms.  “We don’t need trouble.”

 

Chirrut laughed.  “Baze Malbus loves trouble, goes searching for it.”

 

“And most of the time, he doesn’t have to look any further than his husband.”

 

Chirrut laughed even harder.  “Very true.”  As Baze caught up with him, he said, “But all the same, we’ll be safe.”

 

“You don’t know that,” Baze said.

 

“Yes, I do.”

 

Baze shook his head.

 

“I do,” Chirrut insisted.  “You can shake your head all you want—”

 

“Stop doing that,” Baze growled, readjusting the man in his arms, who was growing heavier by the moment.

 

“Then stop making faces behind my back.”

 

“It wasn’t behind your back.  It was to the side,” Baze said, trying to hide a small smile.

 

Chirrut wore a wide grin.  “There we go.  I knew I could get you to smile.”  He nodded to their tiny cabin.  “Hux won’t find us here.  I can sense when someone like him is near, and I am certain we are quite alone.”

 

“For now,” Baze said.

 

Chirrut stopped and seemed to study the man in his husband’s arms.  If he hadn’t spent most of his life with Chirrut, Baze would’ve found it disconcerting the way his husband seemed to look right through both of them.

 

Chirrut shook his head.  “Hux is not interested in this one.”  He began walking again.  “There is another.  _That_ is the one that Hux seeks to cross.”

 

They made it to the cabin and the two silently set to work warming up the stranger.  Baze built a fire, while Chirrut undressed the man and cleaned him up.  “Find some of my old clothes,” Chirrut finally said.  “So he can wear something dry.”

 

Baze nodded and picked out several layers for the man.

 

“Any clue who he is, where he’s from?”

 

“Nothing I can see,” Chirrut said with a chuckle.

 

Baze had long ago given up on his husband’s sense of humor.  

 

They dressed the man and put him on a couch in front of the fire.  They both stepped back and stared at him.

 

“Should I warn the others,” Baze eventually asked.

 

“Yes,” Chirrut said.  “But not tonight.  We’ll know more when he’s awake and then we can plan on how to best counter Hux.”

 

Baze wrapped an arm around his husband, staring down at the stranger.  “War is coming.”

 

“Yes, it is,” Chirrut said.  “Yes, it is.”

 

**# # # #**

 

“But you really don’t remember anything?”

 

Finn shrugged.  They’d already had variations of this conversations three times during the last few hours.  It seemed that after the excitement of yesterday, Lando was bored and wanted to fill the time with conversation.

 

“I mean, I remember my name and I can tell you about my parents, and I know how to hold a sword and dance a waltz, but…”  He sighed.  “I can’t tell you where I’m from or what I do or how I ended up in that desert.”

 

Lando thought carefully for a moment and then said, “Magic.”

 

“Magic?”

 

“Definitely.”

 

Finn felt a chill—even in the relentless heat of the desert.  Deep in his bones, he knew the other man was right.

 

“That would explain,” Lando said, “why Yoda wanted you to go see Maz.”

 

“Is she a sorcerer?”

 

Lando laughed.  “No!  In fact, Father Yoda is more of the sorcerer type.  But Maz…”  He searched for the right words.  “No, Maz just knows things.  Plus, she knows everyone.  So the chances are good that she’ll be able to tell you where to go or who you are.”

 

Finn thought on that a while and then asked, “If Father Yoda is a sorcerer, why couldn’t he help me?”

 

Lando shrugged.  “That old man is a strange one.  They say he used to be the most powerful sorcerer in all of the kingdoms, long before Snoke ever appeared.  But over the past several years, he’s hidden himself away there in Dagobah and he doesn’t really do much magic anymore.”

 

“I wonder why,” Finn mused.

 

Lando shook his head.  “Who knows?  All of those sorcerer types are a bit strange if you ask me.”

 

They rode on in silence and Finn wondered if he knew any sorcerers and if so, what they were like.

 

**# # # #**

 

“Where did you send them,” Ren asked, pacing the sorcerer’s chambers.

 

“I don’t know,” Hux said, his attention on the potion he was currently mixing.

 

“What do you mean you don’t know,” Ren said, already reaching for his sword.

 

Hux huffed out a sigh, stopped, and turned to regard the sulking Prince.  “I mean that curses like that aren’t exact, Ren.  One of them is in the desert; the other is in the snow.  You wanted them taken care of?  I took care of them.”

 

“And how, exactly, does this help me in my bid to take over D’Qar?”

 

Hux closed his eyes, trying not to escalate the situation by visibly rolling his eyes.  “You were never going to marry the Prince.  We both know that.  You and his majesty have always preferred more bellicose means of problem solving.”

 

“He humiliated me in front of hundreds of people!  I want to make him suffer,” Ren said, stalking to the far end of the room and back again, his sword waving to and fro.

 

Hux held his breath.  _If that cretin destroys one of my potions…_   He tried to calm his voice.  “I am making them suffer.  They’re separated and they can’t remember each other.”

 

Ren let out a growl.  “That’s not enough!”

 

_Petulant child._

 

“Make them suffer more,” Ren said.

 

This time Hux did roll his eyes.  With an over-exaggerated sigh, he got up and moved over to a basin filled with silvery liquid.  He stared at it, mumbling in Latin, before an image of Prince Finn emerged on the surface.  He couldn’t help his smirk at the image.  _Ren’s going to hate this._

 

“The Prince is in the desert.  And he has help.”

 

“What,” Ren screamed, stomping to him. 

 

Hux pointed at the image: the Prince and an older man navigating a wagon through a narrow canyon.

 

“Well, do something about it,” Ren said.  He sheathed his sword and made for the door.  “Or I will tell his majesty how abominably you’ve failed him.”  He slammed the door.

 

“Such a big word, Ren,” Hux muttered before he started his incantation.  _I wonder how the Prince feels about rathtars?_

**# # # #**

 

Poe woke up to the sounds of two people bickering.

 

“Surely, we have something better than the Tarine,” a gruff voice complained.

 

“The Tarine is a fine tea, and besides, we haven’t been to Jedha in several weeks to restock our supply,” another voice said.  “It is Tarine or hot water, I’m afraid.”

 

“Fine,” the other one grumbled.

 

A melodic laugh filled the space.  “Baze Malbus, are you that worried about impressing our young friend—who is awake, I believe…”

 

Poe could feel eyes on him, so he cautiously opened his own to see two older men staring down at him.  One was a bear of a man, with a scowl set into his face, wearing a thick moustache and beard and tons of bushy black hair.  The other one looked smaller, sleeker—although Poe knew in an instant that he was just as deadly, if not deadlier—he had a kind face and his eyes were milky blue.  He smiled down at Poe.  “Good morning.”

 

“Morning,” Poe said, groaning as he tried to sit up, and then thinking better of it and collapsing back down onto the couch.  “Where am I?”

 

“Our home,” the bear said.

 

The other one shook his head.  “Ignore him.  He doesn’t like mornings…or afternoons or evenings, for that matter.”  He walked to the front of the couch.  “I am Chirrut Îmwe and this is my husband Baze Malbus.”

 

“Poe,” Poe said.  “Poe…”  He’d hoped the last name would just come—out of a force of habit—but it didn’t.

 

“Poe who,” Baze asked.

 

Poe shook his head.  “I wish I could remember.”

 

Worry passed over both men’s faces.  Poe didn’t miss it.  “What,” he asked.

 

“Magic,” Baze said, returning to the tea.

 

“Sorcery,” Chirrut said.  “Most likely the work of a man called Hux.”

 

 _Hux_.  That name made Poe’s blood run cold.

 

“You know him,” Chirrut asked as Baze brought over the tea. 

 

Baze placed the cup in Chirrut’s hands and then—far more gently than Poe expected—helped Poe sit up.  “Drink,” he commanded, taking the cup from Chirrut and handing it to Poe.

 

Poe shook his head.  “I don’t know if I know him,” he croaked out.  He blew on the tea and then sipped.  It was bitter but he was so thirsty he didn’t care.  “Can’t remember anything.”

 

“How long were you out in the storm,” Baze asked.

 

“Two days,” Poe answered.

 

Baze took in a sharp breath, shaking his head.  _You’re lucky you didn’t die._

 

“He can’t die,” Chirrut said. “He’s under orders not to die.”

 

Poe blinked and looked at the blind man.  “How did you know that?”  _How did I know that?_

 

“This one’s a sorcerer too,” Baze said, returning to the kitchen to fetch tea for himself and Chirrut. 

 

“But the good kind,” Chirrut added.  “The kind that is going to help you find your memories.”

 

Poe looked up at him.  “Thank you,” he said.

 

Chirrut laughed.  “Of course!”

 

Baze came back in, handing his husband a cup of tea.  “But first, you rest.  You nearly died out there.”

 

“I’m fine,” Poe said.

 

“No, you’re not,” Baze said.  “Rest.  Eat and drink.  And then tomorrow, we’ll go to Jedha.”

 

Chirrut nodded.  “He may look like a bear, but he’ll mother you to death.”  He took a sip of his tea, wincing a bit at the bitterness.  “But, he is right.  It isn’t an easy trip to Jedha, and you were nearly dead when we found you.”

 

Poe wanted to get up and leave that instant.  The feeling in the pit of his stomach that he needed to return to something was getting stronger and stronger.  But, he knew they were right.  So, he took another sip of his bitter tea and focused on the smells coming from the kitchen where he could hear Baze cooking.

 

“He isn’t a great cook,” Chirrut warned.  “But I don’t think either of us are going to complain,” he said, giving Poe a conspiratorial wink.

 

**# # # #**

 

They were having to take the canyon slowly.  The wagon fit, but just barely.

 

Finn kept one eye on their rear in case the Guavians showed back up, but so far it had been quiet.

 

Suddenly, the silence was pierced by a horrible shriek.

 

For a moment, Finn hoped he’d dreamed it, but as he turned towards Lando, the other man’s eyes were wide with fear.

 

“What was…” Finn started when another shriek sounded.  It echoed off the canyon walls.  “Lando, what was—”

 

“Shhhhhhh,” Lando hissed.  He looked around, studying the canyon.

 

“Lando,” Finn whispered.  “What is it?”

 

“Rathars,” Lando said.

 

“Rathars?”  Finn still had no memory of who he was, but he suddenly remembered all sorts of tall tales from his childhood with monsters of every shape and size.  And the most terrifying of those had been the…rathars.  “You’re saying they’re real?”

 

“Of course, they’re real,” Lando said.  “You ever heard of the Trillia Massacre?”

 

“Kriff,” Finn said, reaching under the seat and grabbing the crossbow and bolts.

 

“We just need to get out of here nice and quick,” Lando said.  “They don’t like direct sunlight, so when we’re out of the canyon, we should be fine.”

 

Finn nodded, loading a bolt and turning to watch their back.

 

They only had a moment’s warning—a slimy tentacle shot out of a cave in the side of the canyon and tried to grab Lando.

 

Finn screamed, “Move,” and Lando jerked out of its way. 

 

But then, there were more tentacles grabbing at the wagon and the horses. 

 

“Shoot into the mouths,” Lando yelled, “and hand me a kriffing knife!”

 

Finn grabbed a knife, shoving it into Lando’s hand, before turning and trying to find the rathtar’s head.  He could hear Lando urging the horses forward and hacking at tentacles, which seemed to be everywhere.

 

Finn finally saw the massive mouth, full of rows of razor-sharp teeth.  “Kriffing hell,” he screamed.  _Have to keep it together or we’re going to die.  Shoot into the mouth.  Into the mouth._

 

Finn raised the crossbow only to have a stray tentacle hit it out of his hands.  It fell into the bed below.  Finn quickly scrambled over the seat and into the back.  He could hear what sounded like a boulder rolling towards them and looked to see another rathtar rolling towards them.  “Another,” he yelled.

 

“Kriff,” Lando screamed, still cutting at tentacles and trying to get the wagon through the sharp turns of the canyon.

 

Finn crawled to the crossbow and put his hand on it just as he felt a tentacle snake up his leg.  He fell backwards, fear spiking throughout his system _.  Into the mouth_.  He opened his eyes, took aim and fired.

 

The bolt flew true and the rathtar shrieked, falling off the wagon.

 

“Good shot,” Lando crowed.

 

Unfortunately, the rathtar rolling up from behind caught up and attached itself to the back of Lando’s wagon.

 

“Kriff,” yelled Finn, rolling over and trying to get a clear shot.  His next bold bounced off the rathtar’s leathery skin.

 

He got on his knees, trying to aim, as tentacles shot out at him.  The wagon took a sharp turn and Finn fell.  It was all the opportunity the rathtar needed.  Two of its tentacles grabbed Finn’s legs and tugged.  He was being pulled out the back of the wagon.  “Lando,” he screamed.

 

“We’re almost there,” Lando screamed back.  “I can see the sunlight!”

 

“Lando,” Finn screamed again.  He was nearly off the wagon.

 

 _I’m going to die here_ , he thought.  And then, the overwhelming sense that he couldn’t die here—he had people to protect and someone he loved.  “No,” he yelled, pulling himself back into the wagon.  “No!” 

 

He reached for the crossbow and his fingers glanced across it as the rathtar got another tentacle on him.

 

 _Only going to get one chance_ , he thought.

 

His hands tightened on the bow.  He flipped himself over and aimed.

 

The bolt struck the beast at the back of the mouth.  It shrieked and let him go.

 

Finn scrambled back to the front of the wagon just as they burst from the canyon into the full light of the sun.

 

“YEAH,” Lando yelled.  He laughed.  “We did it!”

 

“Yeah,” Finn said, panting.  “We did it.”  He turned to look back into the canyon.  He could see tentacles grabbing at the edges of the rock wall.  _I’m going to have nightmares _about that_ for the rest of my life_, he thought. 

 

He slumped down into the seat next to Lando.  “Please tell me we’re almost to Takodana.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Saturday, it's time to meet Maz...


	7. The Tavern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eventually, everyone ends up at Maz's...

 

 

Luke, Snap, Rey, and Jess stared at the map of D’Qar unfurled before them.

 

“The most logical route for Ren’s troops to take would be here,” Snap said pointing to a wide valley separating D’Qar from the Western Reaches, a desolate land than none of the kingdoms claimed. 

 

Luke nodded and hummed in approval.

 

“I think we should also be ready here,” Jess said, pointing to an area to the north, near the base of the mountains.  There’s a small canyon there and while it doesn’t look like much…”

 

“You’re right,” Luke said.  “Good eye.”

 

Rey beamed at Jess.

 

“My only concern,” Luke said, “is that while Hux isn’t powerful enough to transport all of his troops here to the castle, he could still probably bring…”  He shrugged.

 

“At least a dozen, maybe more,” Rey figured.  “We should definitely plan on that.  Ren’s plan will be to split our defenses.  He’ll hit at these two spots,” she pointed to the map, “and at the same time, he’ll bring soldiers here to the castle.”  She knew in her bones that was what her brother was planning.

 

Luke studied his niece.  “Rey,” he asked.  “Do you ever have strange feelings or…”

 

Rey’s brow furrowed in confusion.  “Strange feelings?”

 

Jess caught on first.  “You think she’s a sorcerer?”

 

“I think it’s likely that she has the ability; I know she’s never been trained.”

 

“But if she had the ability, why wouldn’t the Queen train her,” Snap asked.

 

“Ben,” Rey whispered.  Memories of her older brother played at the edges of her mind—he’d left when she had been very young and since then, her parents had refused to talk about him in her presence.

 

Luke nodded.  “They were worried that what happened to him might happen to you.”

 

Rey frowned.  “But if they suspected that I might be seduced by Snoke or someone like that, why not just tell me?”

 

Jess wrapped an arm around Rey’s shoulder.  “They were scared.”

 

Luke looked at the map, lost in so many memories of the past.  “Beings do a lot of stupid and terrible things out of fear,” he said.  “They tell lies.  They run away…”  He sighed.  “I know it doesn’t feel like much, but they were trying to protect you.”

 

Rey frowned.  “But you could teach me?”

 

Luke looked up.  “A bit.”  He frowned.  “But I don’t know how much time we have.”

 

“A few days,” Rey said. 

 

“A few days,” Jess asked, realizing that that didn’t give their search parties much time to find Poe or Finn.

 

Rey nodded.  “I can feel it.”

 

**# # # #**

 

“Finn, I’d like you to meet Maz Kanata.”  Lando turned his most charming smile on for the small old woman standing in front of the dilapidated building.  “And Maz, this is Finn.”

 

“You two look like hell,” Maz said.

 

Lando dusted some of the dirt off his shoulders.  “Had a few…encounters out in the desert.”

 

“Encounters,” she asked.

 

Lando smiled.  “But we’re here now.”

 

The woman stepped up closer to Finn, adjusting her glasses.  She grabbed his arm, jerking him forward and studying him.  “Hmmmmmm….”

 

“Yoda thought you might be able to help young Finn here.”

 

She nodded, letting Finn go.  “I know those eyes.”

 

“You know me?”

 

The woman nodded with a knowing smile.

 

“Well, who am I?”

 

She shook her head.  “No, my dear.  I can’t tell you.”

 

“What,” he demanded.  “I came all this way—”

 

“You came all this way for help, and I’ll help you.”  She nodded to Lando.  “Come on.  Come inside and get something to eat and drink and I’ll explain it all to you.”

 

Finn reluctantly followed the old woman inside.

 

**# # # #**

 

“But I’m better,” Poe said, groaning as he pushed himself up off the couch.

 

Chirrut laughed.  “I’m blind, and even I can tell you’re about to fall down.”

 

“Sit back down,” Baze said.  “It’s too dark to start out anyway.”  He then softened his tone a bit.  “Tomorrow, if you’re better.”

 

“Tomorrow,” Chirrut said.  “We’ll get you back to him.”

 

“Him,” Poe asked.

 

Baze shot his husband a look.  _Stop reading his mind._

 

Chirrut put his hand over Baze’s and said, “Sorry, it’s an old habit.”

 

“But who is he,” Poe asked.

 

Chirrut squeezed his husband’s hand, wondering how it would feel if he suddenly couldn’t remember Baze.  “You’ll find out soon enough.”

 

Poe grimaced and growled.  “Can’t you just tell me?”

 

“Sorry!  Not how this works.”

 

Baze stared over at Poe, pressing his lips together.  “Are you sure he’ll get his memory back,” he whispered to his husband.

 

Chirrut nodded.  “Everything will be as fate wills it.”

 

Baze snorted.  “Fate!”

 

Chirrut patted his husband’s hand.  “Yes, fate.  Fate brought us together and fate will bring him to his love soon enough.”

 

Poe listened to the two of them bicker and talk until his eyes felt heavy.  It was nice; it reminded him of his parents or him and…  _your highness?_

 

Poe drifted off to sleep.

 

**# # # #**

 

“Would you two quit bickering already?”  Han nodded to the tavern in front of them.  “We’re here.”

 

“Here,” Bastian asked.  “Really?”

 

Rose looked skeptical as well.  “We’re going to find answers _here_?”

 

Han shook his head and got off Chewie, leading the horse to a post.  “Yes, we’re going to find answers here.  Now, if you two will kindly get off your horses already…”  Han marched to the front door.  “Just stay quiet and let me do the talking okay?  And try to act inconspicuous.  This place isn’t exactly full of,” he looked them both up and down, “royal types.”

 

“You’re a Prince,” Bastian hissed.

 

“Prince Consort,” Han corrected.  “Practically nothing.”

 

Rose rolled her eyes.

 

Han pushed open the door to a raucous scene.  People were drinking and gaming, singing and dancing.  Bastian was pretty sure there was a couple in the corner getting way too friendly.

 

Suddenly, one voice cut through all the din.  “Han Solo!”

 

“Oh boy,” Han whispered.  He plastered a smile on his face and waved.  “Hey Maz!”

 

The old woman stood and began crossing the tavern towards him, but as she did, another man stood and said, “Han Solo, why you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler. You've got a lot of guts coming here!”

 

Han’s eyes lit up.  “Lando!”

 

The two men ran and embraced each other.

 

“What are you doing here,” Han asked, stepping back.  “It’s been…”

 

“Far too long,” Lando supplied.

 

“He was bringing me something,” Maz said, nodding towards a figure at her table in the back.

 

Han squinted and then burst out laughing.  “Finn?  Is that you?”

 

Finn stood and walked toward the older man.  “Do I know you?”

 

A small woman with black hair piled on her head came running forward.  “Prince Finn,” she yelled.  “We found you!”  She wrapped her arms around him in a huge hug.

 

Her companion, a man with big eyes and a bright smile jogged up and cuffed him on the arm.  “You had us worried, your highness.”

 

“Highness?  Prince?”

 

“No,” Maz said.  “No more of that!”  She swatted at Rose and Bastian.  They both stepped back.  “He doesn’t remember.”

 

“He doesn’t remember,” Rose said.  “Anything?”

 

Maz shook her head.   She then pointed to her table, and once they were all seated around it she said, “I take it this was the work of a sorcerer?”

 

“Hux,” Han said.

 

Lando took in a sharp breath.  “What is that moof-milker up to?”

 

“Getting ready to attack,” Han said.

 

Maz frowned.  “That means we’ll need to prepare for war.”

 

Han nodded.  “Leia is already back in Alderaan and Luke is getting things ready in D’Qar.”

 

Maz looked at Lando.  “I can alert the proper authorities here, but you’ll need to reach out to those in power in Jakku and Yavin.”

 

Lando nodded.  “I can leave tonight.”

 

“But what about the Prince,” Basitan asked.

 

Maz sighed.  “You can’t tell him what he’s forgetting.  He must come to that on his own or he may never get his memories back.”  She studied the young Prince for a moment.  “My guess is his memories are tied to a particular person or a place.  Once he sees them, everything should come back.”

 

Han, Rose, and Bastian all had the same thought: _Poe._

 

“Is there a problem,” Lando asked.

 

Han tried to figure out how to say it without giving too much away.  “Finn isn’t the only missing person,” he finally said.

 

“Oh,” said Lando, comprehending the full meaning of those words.

 

Maz smiled.  “No worries.  The other one will be found too.  Fate has a way of working these things out.”

 

“You sure about that,” Han said, leaning forward.

 

“It worked out for Finn, didn’t it?”

 

Han shrugged and leaned back in his chair.

 

Maz stood.  “All of you should eat and get some rest.  You’ll need to leave in a few hours.”  She paused, putting her hand on Finn’s arm.  “Finn, what you seek is not behind you…it is ahead.  Trust in your feelings and let them guide you to what—and who—it is you need.”  She patted his arm.  “Don’t lose hope.  Hold onto love.”  She wandered off into the tavern.

 

Han looked at the group.  “So, who’s hungry?”

 

**# # # #**

 

“Blast,” Hux spat out.  His hands broke the surface of the silver liquid and it splashed across the table.  “Blast, blast, blast!”

 

Phasma stood at the door to the sorcerer’s chambers, listening.  She closed her eyes.  The sorcerer was never easy, but he sounded particularly perturbed at the moment.  “Sir,” she asked, venturing in.

 

“What,” he asked, spinning, venom rippling through his voice.

 

“King Snoke asked me to inquire about the Prince.”

 

“Blast,” Hux said again, turning and pounding a fist on the table.  “You can tell him…”  Hux took a deep breath.  _Don’t want to lose my head over this_.  He straightened up and gave her a calm response.  “You can tell him that I’ve decided to focus my efforts on the consort.”  He reached for a cloth, wiping his hands clean.  “Easier prey.”

 

Phasma lifted an eyebrow; she couldn’t help herself.

 

Hux shook his head—the woman had been under his control for so long that he almost felt a kinship with her.  _If nothing else, she’s far more stable than either Ren or Snoke_.  He leaned back against the table.  “The Prince managed to get free of the rathtars.”  Hux frowned.  Later, he’d have to think about that.  It was almost as if the Prince had some power, but…  _That would be preposterous.  We’d have heard if he were a sorcerer._

 

“And,” Hux continued, “now someone is shielding him—some little sorcerer of some sort.”  He shook his head and crossed the room to start gathering ingredients for a new potion.  “The consort will be easier to find.”  He paused.  “Although I suspect that he’s being protected too.”  He rolled his eyes.  _Snoke and Ren couldn’t find an unprotected kingdom to attack, could they?_

 

Phasma’s mouth twitched.  “Perhaps a non-magical solution then?”

 

Hux smiled.  _That’s brilliant._   He turned back towards the woman.  _But I’m not telling her that._   “That might do, Phasma.  I’ll ascertain where the consort is and then you and your troops can go fetch him for me.”

 

Phasma nodded.  “What should I tell his majesty?”

 

“Tell him he’ll have a hostage in the next day or so.”

 

Phasma gave him another curt nod, turned on her heel and exited.

 

Hux got to work.

 

**# # # #**

 

“Poe!  Poe Dameron!  You’re alive,” Finn yelled, running towards him.  He pulled Poe into a hug and then a frantic kiss.  “You’re okay?”

 

Poe smiled.  “Yeah, I woke up and…two men found me in the mountains.  They’re taking care of me.  Going to take me down to Jedha tomorrow.”

 

Finn let out a sigh of relief.  “Oh, thank goodness.”

 

“How about you,” Poe asked.

 

Finn smiled.  “I’m in Takodana, and Han, Rose, and Bastian are here.  I don’t remember them, but they’re going to take me back to D’Qar soon.”  He took Poe’s hand and shook his head.  “There’s going to be a war.”

 

Poe nodded.  “I know.  Baze and Chirrut—those are the men who rescued me—they’re talking about it too.”  He squeezed Finn’s hand.

 

“I feel so useless,” Finn said.  “I should be back in D’Qar preparing my kingdom for battle.”

 

“You aren’t useless!  And you’re almost there, and when you get back, I’m sure you’ll remember.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

“I know it,” Poe said.

 

Finn leaned in to Poe.  “I need _you_ back too, you know.”

 

Poe smiled and closed his eyes.  “I know.”  He sighed.  “I miss you so much.  Even when I can’t remember you, I miss you.”

 

“I know,” Finn said.  “It’s like a part of me is missing.”

 

Poe laughed.  “I can’t believe we convinced ourselves we weren’t in love with each other for so many years.”

 

Finn remembered the night of his twenty-second birthday.  “No, but wait.  I heard you say you didn’t love me.”

 

“What,” Poe asked.  “I would never have said that!”

 

“But you did!”

 

Finn sat up, moving away from Poe.

 

“When?”

 

“My twenty-second birthday.  Karé drug you out to the loggia in the garden and—”

 

“Kriffing hell, you were there?”

 

“I was in the garden, and I might have overheard…”

 

“You were eavesdropping!”

 

“I was simply in the vicinity and…”

 

“You were eavesdropping, your highness!”

 

“Fine,” Finn said, standing and pacing a bit.  “I was eavesdropping.  But that doesn’t change the fact that you said—”

 

It all came back to Poe.  His voice sounded hollow as he said, “I said you were a Prince and that you needed another Prince or a Princess.”

 

“You said you didn’t think about me in that way.”

 

“I was lying,” Poe said flatly.

 

“Why,” Finn asked.

 

Poe looked up at Finn—even here in their shared dream, Finn was regal and beautiful and Poe felt dirty and stupid and so unworthy.  “Look at me,” he said, gesturing at himself.  “I’m a guard.  The son of two guards.  I’m not wealthy.  I don’t come from noble blood.  I’m…  I’m no one.”

 

Finn quickly crossed the space between them.  “What?”

 

“I’m no one,” Poe said in a tiny voice.

 

“Poe Dameron, that has to be the single stupidest thing you have ever said!”

 

Poe looked up at Finn who had rage in his eyes.  Finn tried to calm his breathing and finally shook his head.  “My father was a kriffing farmer, Poe.  But he was also the kindest, smartest, best man my mother ever met.  She didn’t care a whit about his station in life.  What makes you think I’d be any different?”

 

“But you could do so much better,” Poe started.

 

“Stop!”  Finn made a frustrated noise and stomped away.  He spun and pointed a finger at Poe.  “I will not hear you speak ill of my intended, do you understand?”

 

“What?”

 

“Sir Poe Dameron is the man that I intend to marry, the man who will one day help me rule my kingdom, and I will have no citizen of D’Qar—not even you—speak ill of him because of where he was born or who his parents were.  Do you understand me?” 

 

Poe nodded.

 

“I want to hear you say it, Poe.”

 

“I understand,” Poe said.  “I’m not to speak ill of your intended.”

 

“Ever,” Finn said.

 

“Ever,” Poe added.

 

Finn let out a long breath and stomped back over to Poe.  He sat down next to him.  “That’s really what’s been keeping us apart all these years?”

 

Poe shrugged.  “I just want the best for you.”

 

Finn wrapped an arm around his beloved.  “ _You_ are what’s best for me.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Tuesday, Poe and his friends run into some trouble...


	8. The Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can I just summarize this chapter by saying that Baze and Chirrut are awesome?

 

 

Baze raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

 

Chirrut bumped his shoulder into his husband’s.  “What’s so amusing, love?”

 

“He’s up and dressed, standing next to the door.”

 

“I can hear you two,” Poe said.

 

“We’re going to eat before we set off.  Jedha is nearly a full day’s journey through the snow.  It isn’t an undertaking you begin on an empty stomach,” Chirrut said.

 

Baze stretched and yawned, padding to the kitchen.  “We’ll have porridge and tea and then, I’ll get you a coat,” he said, nodding to Poe.  “Now, go sit down.”

 

“But we are going today, yes?”

 

“Yes,” Baze said.  “Although why you’re so impatient to be back out in the cold is beyond me.”

 

“He’s in love,” Chirrut said.

 

Poe opened his mouth to disagree, but found he couldn’t.  _I am in love._

_I wonder with who?_

 

**# # # #**

 

“Okay, so do we have a plan or are we just gonna ride around the city yelling _Poe_ and _Finn_ every few feet,” Iolo asked as they entered the outskirts of Jedha.

 

Karé shook her head.  “There’s an old temple in the middle of town and I have a friend there who keeps his ear to the ground, so to speak.”

 

“What’s his name?”

 

“Kaytoo,” she said.  “He’s a grumpy old coot, but he has a good heart.  He has friends scattered throughout the northern regions.  If they’ve seen any strangers recently, he’ll know.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Han rolled his eyes as he listened to Rose and Bastian bickering behind him.  They’d been riding for the better part of the day already and the two of them never ceased in finding new things to argue about.

 

He shook his head and turned to stare at the Prince, who had been wearing a look of profound concentration on his face for most of the trip.  “How are you, highness?”

 

Finn startled out of a daydream.  “Oh, um…  I’m fine.”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

Finn opened his mouth and then closed it.  He nodded.  “Yeah, I am.”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Finn shot him an incredulous look.

 

“I mean, besides the whole _no memory_ thing.”

 

“Isn’t that enough?”

 

“Yeah, but there’s something else digging at you.”

 

“I…”  Finn shook his head.  “Every morning I wake up, and there’s this sense that I can almost remember everything, that if I could just get back to my dream to…”  He started talking mostly to himself.  “It’s a man.  He’s beautiful and I can’t quite see his smile but I know that it makes my heart race and…”  He seemed to remember Han was there.  “If I could just remember him…”

 

“You will, kid.  Trust me.”

 

Finn looked ahead of them—they’d reach the border of D’Qar soon.  “But will it be in time?”

 

Han didn’t have a good answer to that.  He was no sorcerer, and even he could feel something in the air.  War was coming sooner rather than later.  “It’ll have to be,” he whispered.

 

**# # # #**

 

Iolo sat on the steps of the old temple, freezing.  He didn’t want to pull his coat out of his pack yet, but he was already dreading their trip into Hoth or Starkiller.  _Why couldn’t we go to the desert?_

 

“Nothing,” Karé asked, for what had to be the tenth time.  “Are you sure?”

 

Kaytoo was a tall, thin man who seemed thoroughly unamused by everything.  “Yes, Karé, I’m sure.  And I was sure the eleven other times you asked me that question.”

 

“One of them has to be in the northern regions.”

 

“That may well be, but the northern regions are large.  Most of the territory is uninhabited.  If one of them appeared in the middle of a mountain range, for instance, the odds of him surviving would be…”

 

“Don’t tell me,” Karé said.

 

Iolo shuddered.

 

**# # # #**

 

“Nearly there,” Baze announced as they rounded the next bend.  “We’ll make it before sundown.”

 

Chirrut said a prayer of thanks under his breath.

 

Poe was amazed at how agile the two of them were—how fluidly they worked together.  He figured they both had to be at least twenty years older than him, and yet, they were so spry and… _So in love_ , he thought.  Poe couldn’t help but hope that this mystery man that Chirrut kept hinting at fit him half as well as Baze fit Chirrut.

 

“Oy,” came a voice from somewhere down below them.  


“Oy,” Baze answered and started off towards it.

 

Chirrut stopped and put his walking stick in Poe’s path.  “Best to let Baze announce your presence.  Jyn can be a bit…defensive.”

 

A few minutes later Baze returned.  “Sent her on ahead to tell Kay we’re coming and to send word to Bodhi and Cass.”

 

Chirrut nodded, moving his stick out of Poe’s way.  “Well, let’s keep going then.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Karé and Iolo were just about to start off towards Hoth—it was the closer of the two kingdoms, after all—when they spied a small woman with a determined glint in her eyes run into the temple.  “Kay,” they heard her yell.  “Kay!”

 

“What,” Kaytoo said, coming out of the back.  “Ugh.  It’s you.”  The contempt was clear in his voice.  “What do you want, Jyn?”

 

“Baze and Chirrut are coming.  They have news.  And a stranger.”

 

Karé ran inside.  The other woman immediately had a dagger in her hands.  Karé raised her hands.  “Woah!  I’m a friend!”

 

The other woman looked to Kaytoo, who looked bored.  “Jyn Erso meet Karé Kun.”  He waited a beat.  “Lower your weapon, Jyn.”

 

Jyn very slowly lowered her dagger.

 

“This stranger.  Did you see him?”

 

“No,” Jyn said.  “But Baze said his name is Poe.”

 

“Oh thank goodness!”  Karé turned and yelled, “It’s Poe.”

 

Iolo came running in.  Jyn raised her dagger again.

 

“Another friend,” Kaytoo said.  He began wandering back towards his room.  “Iolo Arana, this is Jyn Erso.  She likes to stab things.”  He called over his shoulder, “I take it this means Cassian and Bodhi will also be joining us soon?”

 

“Yes,” Jyn said. 

 

“Great,” Kaytoo said without any feeling whatsoever.  “I’ll start getting things ready.”

 

Jyn turned to Karé and Iolo, still not quite ready to trust them.  “So how is it that this Poe came to be up in the mountains?”

 

“He was cursed by a sorcerer named Hux,” Iolo started.

 

“Hux?  You’re enemies of Hux’s?”

 

“Yes,” Karé said.  “Enemies of Hux and Ren and Snoke and all of their ilk.”

 

Jyn smiled.  “Good,” she said.  She pointed to a table.  “Wait here.  Baze and Chirrut will be along shortly, and I’ll be back soon with some friends.”  She darted back out into the streets.

 

**# # # #**

 

Luke sat in his room, a cup of tea in his hand. 

 

Rey came in and sat across from him.  He looked to the pot of tea on the table beside him.  She shook her head.  “Someone’s coming.  Either Poe or Finn, I can’t quite tell.”

 

Luke smiled. “Prince Finn.  He’s with Han...um, your father.”

 

Rey studied her uncle.  “You love him,” she said.  It wasn’t a question.

 

Luke looked up from his cup and met her eyes.  “Yes,” he said.  “But it wasn’t meant to be.”

 

“And that’s why you left?”

 

Luke nodded.

 

“Does he know that’s why you left?”

 

Luke sighed.  “I don’t know.”  He took a long sip of his tea.  “I never told him.”

 

Rey thought about Poe and Finn, worried that they might never get the chance to tell each other the truth.  “Fear is a dangerous thing.”

 

Luke let out a mirthless chuckle.  “That’s the first lesson you should learn.”  He set his tea cup down.  “Fear can be a powerful motivator, but magic done out of fear almost always backfires.”

 

Rey nodded then studied her hands in her lap.  She finally asked, “What happened with Ben?”

 

“I don’t know, for sure,” Luke said.  “He…  He was very unhappy and very powerful.  He wanted to lash out at your parents.  Snoke swept in and took advantage of that.”

 

“Is there no way to help him?”

 

Luke frowned.  “I don’t know.  Sometimes people don’t want to be saved.”

 

Rey nodded.  _Do you want to be saved, Ben?_   In the pit of her stomach, she feared she already knew the answer, so she took a deep breath and concentrated on the feeling of hope she felt knowing that the Prince and her father were on their way back.

 

**# # # #**

 

“Kay!  Kaytoo,” came a bellowing voice from the street.

 

A huge man came in the front door.  He stopped immediately upon seeing Karé and Iolo, moving into a defensive posture. 

 

There was laughter behind him.  “They’re friends,” a light voice said.

 

The large man relaxed and stepped into the building and that’s when Karé saw Poe.  “Poe,” she yelled, rushing forward.  She grabbed him into a hug that sent him staggering back.  “You’re alive.”

 

Poe closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around this stranger— _but I know her, don’t I_ —and then groaned, “Careful.  Still not feeling my best.”

 

The woman stepped back and looked him over.  “Poe?”

 

He gave her a sad smile and shook his head.

 

Chirrut leaned over to her.  “Chirrut Imwe, and the other one is Baze Malbus.”

 

“Oh, sorry,” Karé said.  “I’m Karé Kun and this is Iolo Arana.  We’re guards with Poe in—”

 

“Ahhh!  No,” Chirrut said quickly.  “He must get his memories back on his own.”

 

“What,” Iolo asked.

 

“He’s been cursed, yes?”

 

“Yes,” Karé said. “By a sorcerer named—”

 

“Hux,” Chirrut and Baze answered at the same time.

 

“Okay, so we all know Hux apparently,” Iolo said.  “But why can’t we tell Poe—”

 

“Ahhh,” Chirrut said loudly.

 

“Why can’t we tell Poe anything,” Iolo finished.

 

“The curse is tied to someone else,” Chirrut said.

 

Karé and Iolo shared a look.

 

“You know who,” Baze asked.

 

“Yeah,” Iolo said.  “We know who.”

 

Poe opened his mouth to ask his beloved’s name when Chirrut brought his walking stick down hard on Poe’s toes.  “No,” he said.

 

“Ow!”  Poe jumped back.  “I just wanted to know—”

 

“You have to find it out on your own,” Chirrut said, “or you’ll never get your memories back.”

 

“Fine,” Poe grumbled, wandering over to a chair and collapsing into it.

 

Iolo waved Chirrut over and he and Karé leaned in.  Iolo said, in a low voice, “This someone else the curse is tied to?  He’s also missing.”

 

Chirrut smiled.  “I don’t think so.”

 

Karé studied the blind man.  “What do you know?”

 

“Nothing for certain,” Chirrut said.

 

Baze snorted.  “He knows,” he said.  “Just don’t ask him _how_ he knows.”

 

“Oooookay,” Iolo said, not wanting to go too deep into that.  “So,” he said, turning to Karé, “we should get some supplies and then head back immediately, yes?”

 

Baze nodded.  “You’ll want to be careful, chances are good that Starkiller is getting ready to attack.”

 

Karé nodded.  “Will you be safe?”

 

Chirrut smiled.  “We’ve been preparing for this eventuality for a long time,” he said.

 

“Good,” said a voice from the doorway.  “I’d hate to think this would be over too easily.”

 

They all turned to see Phasma, in glistening silver armor, standing in front of the temple with a garrison of soldiers at her side.

 

“Kriff,” said Poe, pushing himself up.  “I guess it’s time to see if I remember how to fight.”

 

**# # # #**

Jyn Erso’s entire life had been ruined by King Snoke.  He’d kidnapped her father when she was just a child and forced him to work himself to death; he’d had her mother killed.  She’d spent the better part of her adult life preparing for the day she could strike back.

 

And if Baze was to be believed, that day was fast approaching.

 

Jyn cut through an alley on her way to Bodhi and Cassian’s house.

 

Over the years, Jyn had had a few brushes with the law.  That’s how she met both Bodhi and Baze, who were both familiar with the Jedha City Jail as well.  Baze had introduced her to his sorcerer husband Chirrut, and after she and Bodhi had managed to steal a shipment of swords intended for Starkiller, they’d gained the notice of Cassian and Kaytoo, who had been recruiting for a sort of resistance group.

 

Jedha was the city closest to Starkiller, one of its surest targets in a war that Jyn and the others saw coming.  Cassian and Kaytoo had spent years making sure the city was ready to defend itself, and Jyn and Bodhi immediately joined the cause. 

 

And now, Baze was saying that something had happened.  He hadn’t gone into particulars, but Jyn felt it in her bones.  _This is our chance._

 

She was breathless by the time she made it to Bodhi and Cassian’s door.  “Bodhi!  Cass!  Open up!”

 

The door flew open, and Cassian met her with wide eyes.  “Yes?”

 

“It’s time.  Baze and Chirrut have news and…  Snoke’s made his first move.”

 

Bodhi was already strapping his weapons on and Cass was quick to follow.  In less than a minute, they were pulling on their jackets.  Bodhi said, “Let’s go.”

 

The three of them were already running back towards the temple.

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe looked at the assembled group—two older men, who he suspected could hold their own with anything Phasma threw at them.  A tall, thin, sour-looking man who’d just appeared from the back somewhere and who was brandishing some sort of cudgel.  And these two new strangers, _er, friends_ , who had immediately pulled swords out and flanked the rest of the group. 

 

_Okay, I have to say, I like our chances._

 

But then what felt like dozens of Starkiller soldiers came pouring into the temple.

 

_Okay, maybe I was wrong._

 

The space was instantly filled with the sounds of swords clashing, grunts and yells.

 

Through the chaos, Baze always kept an eye on his husband.  They’d been fighting side-by-side since they were teenagers; it was second nature at this point.  And that is why he saw the strange look cross Chirrut’s face.

 

“What is it,” he asked with a grunt as he pushed one of the soldiers back into two others.

 

“Another curse,” Chirrut said, stopping and thrusting his stick out, catching one soldier in the stomach and then spinning the stick and immediately catching another.

 

“Another curse,” Baze repeated.  “Here?”

 

Chirrut nodded, spinning his stick and kicking a soldier back into a wall.  “Someone here…”  He paused and spun in a slow circle.  “Her,” he said, pointing his stick at Phasma.

 

“Her,” Baze asked.  _The tall one?  The only one that might be a bit of a challenge?_   And then he realized what this meant.  “No, Chirrut!”

 

Chirrut simply laughed and started fighting his way towards the woman.

 

Baze groaned and started fighting his way to his husband’s side.

 

**# # # #**

 

Karé yelled as she kicked another solider away and then thrust her sword forward.

 

“You okay,” Iolo called out.

 

“Fine.  You?”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Where’s Poe?”

 

“I’m the person protecting your back,” Poe said from behind him.

 

Iolo laughed.  “Well, thank goodness for that.”  He pushed forward.

 

Poe took a deep breath and stepped backward to stay with them.  He scanned the room.  Baze and Chirrut were headed towards Phasma.  He was here with Iolo and Karé, and the tall, thin one was simply standing in the middle of the fray, hitting anyone who got too close with a cudgel.

 

It was a lop-sided fight in terms of skill.  His friends clearly outmatched the Starkiller soldiers, but what had Poe worried was that more and more Starkiller soldiers just kept filling the space.  Eventually sheer numbers would outlast—and outlive—skill.  “We need help,” he called over his shoulder.  “We can’t keep this up.”

 

Karé grunted.  “We’re going to have to, Poe.”

 

There was suddenly a ruckus at the door and Poe turned to spy a small woman and two bearded men fight their way inside.

 

“Reinforcements have arrived,” Kaytoo announced.

 

“That’ll do,” Iolo said, pushing forward with renewed energy.

 

**# # # #**

 

“You have a plan,” Baze asked as they slowly approached the silver-clad soldier currently battling with Karé.

 

“Not really,” Chirrut said.  “I was hoping that you could knock her unconscious so that I might see what I can do about her curse.”

 

Baze let out a long sigh.  “I was afraid it was going to be something like that.”

 

“It’s what you do best,” Chirrut said.

 

Baze decided the direct approach was best.  He pulled a thick club from the pack on his back and called out, “Captain Phasma!”

 

As she turned to face him, he thwacked her aside the head and smiled as he watched her fall to the ground.

 

“Well done,” Chirrut said.

 

Baze then looked around and realized that all the Starkiller soldiers were laying on the ground.  He did a quick survey and found that all his friends—old and new—were still standing.

 

“Yes,” Iolo yelled, realizing the same thing.

 

Chirrut laughed.  “Love always takes the day over hate, my son.”

 

“Or sometimes blind, dumb luck wins,” Kaytoo said with a sigh.

 

“Ignore Kay,” Cassian said.  “He’s just grumpy that there weren’t more soldiers for us to dispose of.”

 

Kaytoo rolled his eyes and went to get a broom, muttering about the mess.

 

“Now what,” Karé asked, stepping forward.

 

“We’re going to need to do something with these soldiers,” Cassian said.

 

Chirrut pointed his staff towards Kaytoo.  “Why don’t all of you start taking the soldiers to the pantry in the back?  It locks, yes, Kaytoo?”

 

“Yes, it locks,” Kaytoo said.  “And they’re going to wake up and eat all my food.”

 

“We’ll get you new food,” Baze said.

 

“That’s what you say now,” Kaytoo grumbled, leading Karé, Iolo, and the others to the back.

 

“Not you, Poe,” Chirrut called out.  “Sit down and rest.”

 

“I’m fine,” Poe said.

 

“Rest,” Chirrut said, holding up his stick and pointing it at Poe.

 

“Listen to him,” Karé said.  “We can handle this.”  She then turned and smiled at the two bearded men.  “Hello!  I’m Karé and this is Iolo and that is Poe.”

 

“Cassian.”

 

“Bodhi.”

 

“Good to meet you,” Iolo said.  “Let’s drag some bodies!”

 

As the others got to work and Poe rested, Chirrut waited while his husband bound the unconscious woman on the floor.  Once Baze stepped back, Chirrut kneeled and held his hands over her.  He closed his eyes and began muttering under his breath.

 

Baze slipped over to sit next to Poe.  “He’ll be a while.”

 

“What’s he doing?”

 

“Trying to lift the curse on her,” and then before Poe could ask, “It’s different from yours, older and weaker.”

 

“Oh,” Poe said, watching Chirrut.  “What happens if he can’t lift it?”

 

Baze watched his husband.  “He’ll lift it.”

 

“You have no doubts?”

 

“When it comes to him, no.”

 

Poe smiled.  Somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but think he felt the same way about his love too.

 

Baze looked over at Poe, remembering what it had felt like as a younger man, how in awe of Chirrut he’d been, how unworthy he’d felt. 

 

Poe kept his attention on Chirrut as he said to Baze, “You fit each other.  Flow.  Watching the two of you today, it’s…  I feel like…”  He shook his head.  “I want that.”

 

Baze looked down at the table.  “Love and trust and…”  He laughed.  “Lots of patience.”

 

Poe smiled.  Somehow, he had a feeling that whoever his love was, _he_ was the one who was going to need patience in dealing with Poe.

 

“Do you have that crystal,” Chirrut suddenly called out.

 

Baze rose, pulling something off his neck.  He handed it to Chirrut who placed it on Phasma’s chest and then kept chanting.

 

Suddenly, the temple seemed to tremble and there was a glowing green light surrounding her.  Poe held his breath.  The others came running into the room, stopping as they watched Phasma’s body float off of the ground.

 

The light got brighter and brighter and brighter until in one brilliant flash—everything stopped.

 

Poe opened his eyes to see Phasma back on the ground, groaning as Baze untied her.  Poe stood.  “Um, should you…”

 

Baze turned back to Poe.  “I trust him.”

 

Phasma sat up.

 

Chirrut put a hand on her shoulder.  “Take your time.  You’ve been under that curse for years.”

 

She blinked, studying first the blind man and then his husband.  She shook her head as if trying to clear it.  “Who are you?”

 

“Oh, where are our manners?  I am Chirrut Îmwe.  This is my husband, Baze Malbus.  That man staring with his mouth open is Poe.  Over on the other side are Kaytoo, Jyn, Bodhi, Cassian, Karé and Iolo.” He smiled.  “Don’t worry about learning everyone’s names.”

 

Phasma slowly stood, studying the temple.  She licked her lips.  “Could I have some water?”

 

As one, everyone turned to Kaytoo.

 

He let out a loud sigh.  “Fine!”  He looked around the room.  “Anyone else need something, since I’m apparently at your beck and call?”  He went stomping off to the kitchen.

 

Chirrut led Phasma to a chair near Poe.  “Sit.  Your body will need some time to adjust.”

 

Poe eyed her warily.  She stared at him.  “Do I know you?”

 

“Maybe,” Poe answered.  “I have a feeling we were cursed by the same guy.”

 

She nodded.  “I remember you now, you’re—”

 

A cacophony of voices rose up.  “No!”

 

Phasma stopped, startled.

 

“He has to remember on his own,” Chirrut said, kindly.

 

“Apparently, my curse is different from yours,” Poe said, sitting down next to her.

 

Phasma nodded.  “They like their curses,” she said.  “Hux is forever trying to figure out new ways to torture people.”

 

She shook her head, remembering her years of service to Hux and Ren and Snoke.  Suddenly, she was crying.  After a minute, she sucked in a breath.  “Didn’t expect that.”

 

Chirrut patted her shoulder.  “It’s a lot to take in.”

 

Iolo couldn’t help himself.  “How do we know this isn’t an act?”

 

Poe couldn’t believe it when he heard himself saying, “It isn’t.”  He shared a smile with Baze.

 

Phasma wiped her eyes.  “They’re planning an attack.  At strategic points in D’Qar, but also vital trade routes too.  Jedha and Takodana will be first.”

 

“And we’ll be ready,” Cassian said.  “We’ve been preparing for this.”

 

“Here’s your water,” Kaytoo said, shoving it onto the table.

 

Phasma took a long gulp.

 

Iolo said, “Poe, I know that you’re still weak, but—”

 

“Guys, I’m fine.  Really, and by the sound of things, we need to go back to…D’Qar?”

 

“Quickly, I’m guessing,” Karé said.  “You’ll be okay here?”

 

Jyn nodded.  “Like Cass said, we’ve been preparing for this, so we’ll be ready for them.”

 

“What about Takodana,” Poe asked.

 

“Maz knows,” Chirrut said.  “Of that, I’m certain.”

 

Poe looked to Baze who shrugged and smiled. 

 

“Okay, Maz apparently knows,” Iolo said, “which is code for Takodana is taken care of.  So, let’s pack up some provisions and get ready to ride.”

 

“What about me,” Phasma asked.

 

“You’re going to help us, of course,” Chirrut said.

 

“I am?”

 

“Aren’t you,” he asked.

 

Phasma thought for a moment and then grinned.  “Yes, I think I am.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Friday, Finn is back in D’Qar. Will that jog his memory? 
> 
> And will Poe make it back in time to join the inevitable fight against Ren and Starkiller?


	9. The Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Hux are back.
> 
> Will Finn remember who he is?
> 
> WIll Poe get back in time to help?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning: character death
> 
> There is a battle in this chapter, and Finn’s going to have to do what has to be done, so…if you don’t like violence, you might want to skip the section that begins “Poe, Iolo, and Karé ran into the throne room” and pick it up in the next section.

“Anything look familiar,” Rose asked as they rode through the city streets.

 

Finn shook his head.  People ran out and waved at the group, and Finn felt compelled to wave back.  He even smiled.  But none of it triggered anything.

 

 _Something’s missing_ , he thought. 

 

 _No.  Someone_.

 

Rose reached over and patted his arm.  “It’ll be okay.”

 

He looked over at her—he knew, deep in his bones that he loved her as if she were his sister and that he could trust what she was saying, but something wasn’t right.  He whispered, “Something’s in the air.  I can feel it.”

 

Rose looked a bit surprised by the statement.  She’d suspected for years that Prince Finn might actually have the ability to be a sorcerer, but with him being a Prince and preparing to be King, figuring out if that were true was far from a priority, but now…

 

She leaned over.  “I can feel it too.  Ren is going to attack soon.”

 

“Today,” he said.

 

“Today?”

 

Finn nodded.  “Today.”

 

Rose called out to the rest of the group.  “Um, let’s move a little faster, okay?  Need to get the Prince back to the castle.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Jess made one last round through the castle before coming to the throne room.  She scanned the space and frowned.  _Where are you, Princess?_

 

She looked out into the gardens, but no Rey.  _Where would you be?_

 

Then, Jess laughed.  _Of course!_

 

She went to the stables and found Rey, petting the muzzle of Poe’s horse, Bee, and speaking to it in hushed tones.  “Does Bee have any advice about the upcoming battle?”

 

Rey turned and smiled.  “No.  Bee’s just worried about Poe.”

 

“He’ll be back soon.”

 

“Later today,” Rey said with a certainty that Jess realized she was going to have to get used to.

 

“That’s a little spooky.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“No,” Jess said, walking over to Rey and hugging her.  “Just a little uncanny is all.”  She leaned back and studied the princess.  “But impressive as hell.”

 

Rey laughed.  She pulled a carrot out of her pocket and fed it to the horse.  “He’ll be back soon, Bee.”  She then let Jess lead her towards Jess’ room.

 

“Worried,” Jess asked as they entered. 

 

Rey sat on the small bed and Jess sat beside her.  Rey thought for a moment and then said, “I have to believe that we’ll win, that good can overcome evil, but…”

 

“But?”

 

“He’s my brother, Jess.”

 

Jess nodded.  She took Rey’s hand in hers.  With her other hand, she began tracing patterns on the back of it.  _I wish I knew what to say._

 

Rey squeezed Jess’ hand.  “It’s enough that you’re here.”

 

Jess chuckled.  “Uncanny and impressive, dear.”

 

“Sorry,” Rey said.  She turned so she could face Jess.  The look on her face was so serious that Jess was worried.

 

“Rey, what is it?”

 

“Jess, I know that we’ve only known each other a few days and that…”  She shook her head.  “I’d really never intended to get married or to…”  Her forehead bunched as she stared down at the bed.  “It’s a lot to ask of someone, to come to Alderaan and leave everything they’ve ever known and…”  She looked up to see Jess wearing an amused smile.  “Um?”

 

Jess shook her head.  “You’re adorable when you’re proposing.”

 

“I am?”

 

Jess nodded.  “And if it helps, I’m going to say yes.”

 

Rey’s face split into a blinding grin.  “It does.”  She nodded and squared her shoulders.  “Lady Pava, if…”  She shook her head.  “No, _after_ we win this battle, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

 

Jess’ smile was equally blinding.  “Yes, Princess.  After we win this battle, I’d be happy to marry you.”

 

“It means you have to move to Alderaan, you know.”

 

Jess leaned forward, kissing the tip of Rey’s nose.  “I’m aware of that.”

 

“And you’re still…”

 

“Rey, I was ready to say _yes_ about three seconds after I met you.”

 

“Kriff,” Rey said.  She leaned in and kissed her fiancée.

 

There was yelling from the castle.  Rey pulled out of the kiss, stood, and listened.  “I think Finn and the others are back.”  She took in a long breath, trying to quell her nerves.

 

Jess stood and reached over, taking her hand.  She leaned over and whispered, “We’re on the side of love, and love has its own power.” 

 

Rey looked surprised.

 

“What?  I can be philosophical!”

 

“It was just far…sweeter than I expected.

 

Jess huffed out an overly-exaggerated sigh as she squeezed the Princess’ hand.  “How about this?  We’re going to win this thing.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe sighed.  “There is absolutely nothing you can tell me?  Not even a little hint?”

 

“Poe,” Iolo said, “we’re going to be back soon and hopefully…”  He didn’t know how to say it without letting anything slip.

 

“Hopefully,” Karé said, “your memories will come back as soon as we get to the castle.”

 

Poe huffed, “I just wanna know something, guys.  Anything.”

 

“Good to know he’s still as whiny as ever,” Iolo said to Karé.

 

“I heard that,” Poe said.  “I heard that, and I have a sinking suspicion that I have the power to order you to clean horse stalls about it if I want.”

 

Karé laughed.  “You sure nothing’s coming back?  Because that sounds suspiciously like you, Poe.”

 

Poe smiled.  He looked over at the two of them.  Somehow, even though he didn’t remember them, he just knew that they were two of his best friends and that all of this teasing came from a place of love. 

 

_Love._

_That’s what all of this is about, right?_

 

Poe took a deep breath, and in the next instant, he was overcome with a sense of impending doom—someone or something that wasn’t about love, that was, in fact, about the absence of love.

 

“Poe,” Iolo asked.  “You still with us?”

 

“Yeah, just…  Thanks for coming to find me, guys.”

 

“Yeah,” Karé said.  “Of course.”  She shared a look with Iolo.

 

“You okay,” Iolo asked.

 

“Yeah, just…”  Poe shook his head.  “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”  He looked forward, and in the distance the castle and city came into view.

 

**# # # #**

 

Rose led Prince Finn into the throne room, which was a hive of activity.  Soldiers and nobles and every other sort of person running to and fro.  Rose called out, “Luke!”

 

An older bearded man turned and smiled as he saw them.  “Your highness,” he said, coming over.  He wrapped his arms around Finn and hugged.  “I’m glad you’re back.”

 

“He still doesn’t remember,” Rose said as Luke stepped back.

 

Finn looked to see two women standing beside Luke.  He noted their joined hands and smiled. 

 

One of them blushed and the other asked, “Do you remember us?”

 

“No,” Finn said.  “But that,” he said, nodding to their hands, “makes me very happy.”

 

The lighter-haired one squeezed his arm.  “Thank you, friend.”  She looked in his eyes a moment longer and said, “Don’t worry.  He’s coming.  You’ll have your memory back before long.”

 

Finn nodded.  He could feel it too, but it felt good to have her say it.

 

Finn realized that they were all looking at him expectantly.  _They expect me to lead them._   And as much as that terrified him, it also felt right. 

 

_I can do this._

 

“Okay, so I’m going to assume that you have taken care of defending all of the borders that a Starkiller army might attack, yes?”

 

“Yes,” said the dark-haired woman, who then added, “I’m Jess, by the way.”

 

“Nice to meet you Jess,” Finn said.  He looked around.  “So, we’re just waiting for an attack here, right?”

 

“Yes,” Luke said.  “We aren’t sure when, but we expect Ren to return.”

 

As if on cue, a thunderous noise filled the air.  “I think he’s returning now,” Finn said as he ran to a nearby guard and grabbed his sword out of its hilt.  “I need to borrow this.  Thanks!”

 

He watched as the others all pulled their weapons out.  The group formed a circle and waited.

 

A tall, pale man stepped out of a cloud of smoke at the far end of the hall.  He was flanked by a sour-looking red-head and about fifty soldiers.

 

“That’s Ren, I take it,” Finn asked.

 

“Yes,” said Luke.

 

“Okay, then, let’s do this,” Finn said.  “Get out of my castle,” he yelled as the fighting began.

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe pulled back the reins of his horse.  “Kriff,” he said.

 

Both Karé and Iolo looked up.  “What in the…”

 

A dark grey cloud hung over the castle.  It spun like a tornado and it seemed to be getting darker and darker.

 

“We need to go.  Now,” Karé said, kicking in her spurs and taking off at a gallop.

 

Both Poe and Iolo were quick to follow.

 

**# # # #**

 

The throne room was chaos. 

 

Soldiers were everywhere and the sounds of wood and metal clashing filled the space.

 

Energy, like bolts of lightning, shot out between Hux and Luke and Rose, who were hurtling curses and spells at each other.

 

As Rey fought, she kept an eye on her brother and eventually, she found him.  She stepped forward, her staff held in front of her.  “Do you know who I am?”

 

He nodded.

 

“Ben,” she started.

 

“That’s not my name,” he screamed.

 

She could feel the magic pouring off of him, how twisted it was, and she wondered if her brother was really still in there.  “Ben,” she said.  “It doesn’t have to be like this.  You can come home.”

 

He shook his head.  “No,” he said.  “But you could come with me.  Bring your lover,” he said, turning to watch as Jess battled two of his men.  “The two of you could help me kill Snoke.  Then Starkiller would be ours forever.”

 

“No, Ben.  I…”

 

“You could be powerful,” he said.  “Like Hux.”

 

Rey paused.  She could feel the temptation in that.  The power to change events, to protect the people she loved.  _I could make it so that there was no more war, ever._

 

Ren chuckled.  “You could do whatever you wanted.”

 

Rey felt herself waver, and then she heard Jess yell out.  She turned and watched this woman— _who I’ve only known a few days_ —kick a soldier in the stomach and push back into the fray, and she knew that Jess would be disappointed if she took Ben’s offer.

 

_Love has its own power._

 

Her eyes snapped back to Ben.  “No,” she said.  “Ben, just stop this war and come back with me.  Come back to the people who love you.”

 

His eyes narrowed.  “I’m not going to stop this war.  This war is going to give me everything I’ve ever wanted, everything I deserve.”  He suddenly slashed out at her.

 

Rey was quick, and it was a good thing because he was relentless.  He screamed as he leveled thrust after thrust of his sword at her.

 

Rey met his attack, her staff pushing back at every one of his thrusts, but Rey was afraid—not because she didn’t possess the skill to kill him but because she feared she lacked the heart.

 

Then, she heard Jess yelp in pain.  She turned to the noise and Ren’s sword caught her arm.  It was a scratch, but she knew it didn’t bode well.  She stumbled backward and then a hand was at the small of her back, steadying her.  “Go check on Jess,” Finn said.  “I’ll handle Ren.”  He flashed her a quick smile.  She nodded and was off.

 

Ren sneered at the Prince.  “I’ve been waiting for this.”

 

Finn shook his head, unimpressed.  “You don’t scare me.”

 

“I will.”

 

Finn laughed.  “Well, then, let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

**# # # #**

 

Luke didn’t want to admit that Hux was as powerful as he was, but as he panted and sent another spell flying into the battle, he realized he was worried.  _I’m getting too old for this_ , he thought.

 

He looked to Rose, who he’d been training in secret since she was a little girl.  She was one of the main reasons he’d decided to stay in D’Qar after he fled Alderaan.  The King and Queen had offered him a role as an advisor, but it was the Queen’s best friend, a woman named Lily, who sealed his fate.

 

> _Lily asked for a private meeting and Luke was surprised to find her with a young girl at her side.  “This is Rose,” she said.  “And I think Rose has a gift.”_

> _Luke knelt down.  “Hello, Rose.”_

> _The girl smiled.  “Hello, Master Luke.”_

> _Luke could feel the goodness and the magic radiating off of her.  He looked up at her mother.  “You want me to train her?”_

> _Lily nodded.  “I think it would be wise to keep her gift a secret, but that doesn’t mean I want it ignored.  Rose should train, and she should train with the best.  When I’d heard you’d left Alderaan, I might have suggested to her majesty that the court could use a new advisor.”_
> 
> _Luke laughed and stood.  “I’ve never trained anyone before.”_

> _“We won’t tell anyone if you won’t,” Lily said with a gleam in her eye…_

 

In the middle of the battle, Luke looked over and thought _, your mother would be so proud of you._

 

Rose was shielding soldiers and helping the wounded, all while keeping Hux from cursing the Prince again.

 

He ran to her.  “Rose,” Luke said.  “You have to beat Hux.”

 

“Me?”  Rose’s eyes went wide.  “Ummmm, I’m pretty sure that’s what you’re here for.”

 

“No,” Luke said.  “I’m the Regent.  _You_ are the Court Sorcerer.”

 

“I am?”

 

“I just appointed you.”

 

Rose laughed, despite herself.  She leaned in and whispered, “Are you sure?”

 

“I’ve never been more sure of anything ever,” Luke said.

 

Rose nodded and stood.  She slowly made her way through the battle until she was facing Hux.

 

The tall man sneered.  “Really?  That’s the best D’Qar could do.”

 

Rose blinked.  “Well, considering the riff-raff that Starkiller sent.”

 

Hux screamed and threw his hands at her.  Rose had a deflection spell up instantly and the light from Hux’s hands bounced off of it.  He kept screaming and sending pulse after pulse of lightning at her, but nothing got through.

 

“Who are you,” he demanded.

 

“I’m Lady Rose,” she said, smiling.  “Sorcerer of D’Qar.”  With that, she sent every bit of magic in her at the man, who fell over, yelling.  She started muttering a spell to bind Hux so that he could never harm another living creature again.

 

Hux writhed in pain.  “No,” he yelled.  “Without my magic, I’m nothing.”

 

Rose was disgusted.  “The mark of a man isn’t the amount of power he has, but what he does with it.  Just pray that no one treats you as you’ve treated people for all this time.” 

 

With one last burst of energy, Hux vanished, and Rose fell back, exhausted.

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe, Iolo, and Karé ran into the throne room.  In one corner, Rose was tending to the wounded.  In another, Rey was fighting alongside Jess.

 

Poe’s eyes alighted on Finn, who was trading blows with Prince Ren, and Poe couldn’t help himself—Finn was masterful, magnificent.  Poe just stopped and stared at him.

 

And then, it all came rushing back to him: who he was, where he was, and what was going on.

 

“Your highness,” he screamed, running forward.

 

The Prince couldn’t hear him over the din, but Poe kept running anyway.

 

Poe watched, in horror, as Ren grabbed a D’Qar soldier and held his sword to the woman’s throat.  “Drop it,” he said.  “Or her blood is on your head.”

 

Finn’s hatred of Ren was clear in his eyes, but he threw down his sword.  “Let her go,” he spat out.

 

“Gladly,” Ren said, shoving the soldier away and lunging for Finn.

 

Poe pushed with all of his might and jumped in front of his Prince, just as the sword slashed through the air.  Poe had turned to face Finn, so the sword caught his back, slicing up and dealing Poe a mortal wound.

 

The moment Finn saw Poe’s eyes—all his memories, everything, came rushing back at him.  He remembered the dreams, he remembered the ball and the curse and most of all, he remembered Poe.  Finn watched in horror as the life drained from his love’s eyes.  With Poe’s final breaths, he pressed his sword into Finn’s hand.  “For D’Qar,” Poe whispered.

 

Ren sneered, “Well, that’s done.”  He pushed Poe out of his way.

 

Finn didn’t even think.  He grabbed the sword and stabbed at Ren, pouring all his fury, all the fear and frustration he’d felt over the last several days, into the battle.

 

It was a brutal attack and Ren was ill prepared for the passion of it.  He was soon stumbling back and then tripping over his own feet.

 

Finn kept hitting and thrusting and pressing forward until Ren lay at his feet, panting, a sneer still splayed across his face.  “You’re nothing,” Ren spit out.  “You’re a weak Prince, and D’Qar will fall.”

 

“Not on my watch,” Finn said, ramming his sword down one final time.

 

**# # # #**

 

Ren was dead.

 

Finn dropped his sword and the clang echoed throughout the throne room.  He looked around.  All the other fighting had stopped, and for a moment, he felt a supreme relief.  _We’ve won._

_At least for today._

 

Then, he turned and spied Poe, who wasn’t moving—he still lay where Ren had dropped him.  Finn rushed over.  “No!”  He scooped up Poe’s body, leaning in until their foreheads were touching.  “No.  No, no, no, no, no, no, no!  No, Poe.  You can’t die.  Remember, I forbid it!  You’re not allowed to die.  Not now, Poe.  Not when I remember.”

 

Luke and Rose ran to Finn’s side.  They both started muttering incantations but nothing was working.

 

“I remember, Poe.  I remember all of it.”  Tears slid down Finn’s cheeks.  “Please, Poe,” he whispered into the other man’s cheek.  “Please don’t do this to me.”

 

He closed his eyes and leaned in.  “Please,” he begged.

 

“Kriff,” Luke muttered.  He looked to Rose.  “Anything?”

 

“Nothing,” she said, looking to Finn with worried eyes.

 

“You’re sorcerers!  You have to be able to do something!  He can’t…  This can’t…”  Finn closed his eyes and shook his head.  “No,” he roared.  “Poe Dameron, you are not going to die today.”  He bent forward and pressed his lips to Poe’s.  “You can’t.”  He kissed him again.  “I love you, Poe.”

 

Finn buried his head in Poe’s chest, sobbing.  Poe was so limp and cold in his arms.  Finn gathered him even closer.  “Please,” he begged, “please.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On Monday, the final chapter...
> 
> But in the meantime, while we wait to see what's going on in D'Qar, I have a little tumblr treat for you, dear readers: [The Battle of Jedha.](https://cha-llamala.tumblr.com/post/164595617643/the-battle-of-jedha) Find out what the Rogue One crew (+ Phasma) are up to while this battle was going on.


	10. The Happily-Ever-After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our final chapter!
> 
> Will Poe be saved?  
> What does Rey's and Jess' future hold?  
> Is the chapter title accurate?

 

 

As many times as the story was told, Finn claimed he didn’t remember what happened next, but every other teller of the tale claimed that a thunderous noise built throughout the castle and the floors shook so severely that all but the most sure-footed fell down.  Then, Poe and Finn were enveloped in a bright purple light, and all who were witness to it, gasped at its beauty.

 

While there were those who would later say that it was the magic of the two sorcerers that eventually revived Sir Dameron, most believed that it was the Prince’s kiss and his declaration that finally revived the injured man. 

 

It was true love that saved the day.

 

**# # # #**

 

After Poe awoke, and after Rose, Luke, and several of the guards tried to get Poe and Finn to stop kissing so that Poe could be tended to, Finn surveyed his castle.  The damage wasn’t bad and very few of his soldiers had been killed.

 

He knew that this wasn’t the end of Starkiller, but he also knew that with the death of Ren—and from what he’d learned, the defection of Lady Phasma and Rose stripping Hux of his powers—he felt good about D’Qar’s chances should the war progress.

 

_We can do this_ , he thought to himself, and he realized he no longer dreaded the prospect of his upcoming rule.  He was surrounded by family and friends—people willing to lay down their lives to do what was right.  People who fought for love.

 

**# # # #**

 

“Are you well,” Rey asked, wrapping her good arm around Jess.

 

“I feel I should be asking you that,” Jess said, nodding to Rey’s other arm.

 

“It’s just a scratch,” Rey said.

 

Jess rolled her eyes.  “Right.”  She led them to a secluded spot in the castle garden.  She pointed to a bench and they both collapsed on it.  “But are you sure that you are…”  She sighed.  “A lot happened today.”

 

Rey nodded.  Her brow furrowed.  “Yes, it did.”  She took Jess’ hand.  “And I will mourn my brother, but not Kylo Ren.” 

 

Jess nodded.

 

Han came running out of the castle.  He searched the gardens and upon seeing the two of them let out a happy noise.  “Do not run away before your father knows you’re well, okay?”

 

“Sorry,” Rey said, rising and staggering as her father drew her into a huge hug.

 

“You, too,” he said to Jess, beckoning her to stand.  He wrapped his arm around her too.  He closed his eyes.  “I’m so glad you’re both all right.”

 

Rey stepped back out of the hug.  “I’m happy to see you in one piece too.”

 

Han shook his head, looking at the two of them.  He couldn’t help the pride that swelled in him.  “I’ll…let the two of you…”  He gave them a vague gesture.  “But then, come back inside, okay?”

 

“Yes, dad,” Rey said.

 

“Yes, sir,” Jess added.

 

“It’s Han, now, kid.  You’re gonna be one of the family soon enough,” he said with a wink.

 

**# # # #**

 

Poe had been shuttled off to a room where a group of nurses and attendants could fuss over him, and quite honestly, he didn’t remember the first few days after the battle as he healed from his wounds.

 

By the time he awoke fully, all that really remained was a jagged scar on his back, and Poe was ready to resume his duties.  However, both the Prince and the Regent had given strict orders that Poe was not to leave his bed for a week, so he was stuck in an opulently-decorated bedroom that he suspected was right next door to the Prince’s own.

 

Poe hated that he couldn’t resume his duties, but more than that, he hated that he couldn’t help Finn in overseeing the repairs and the new defensive preparations.

 

During his forced convalescence, he was visited by most of the guard, and the newly-appointed Court Sorcerer, so that helped.  And he couldn’t hide his grin when Princess Rey introduced her new fiancée to him.

 

“Awww, Jess!  I guess this means we’re losing a stable master,” Poe said as the two visited him one afternoon.

 

“I think you’ll manage without me.”

 

Poe shook his head and managed to sound sincere as he said, “I don’t know.”  He looked up.  “Bee is really gonna miss you.”

 

Jess snorted.

 

“I am too,” Poe said.

 

“Well,” Jess said, sitting on the edge of his bed.  “When you are better, you’ll just have to come visit.”

 

“Yes, because the head of the Prince’s Guard always has a reason to travel to Alderaan.”

 

Rey and Jess shared a knowing look before Rey asked, “And how much longer do you really think you’ll be the head of the Prince’s Guard, Sir Dameron?”

 

At first, he thought that Finn was going to demote him for some reason, and then it dawned on him.

 

“Oh,” he said.  The full weight of what had happened over the past week sunk in.  “Oh,” he said again, looking up at the two of them.  “I guess I probably will be able to visit.”  He smiled.  “If my husband is agreeable.”

 

Rey and Jess laughed.

 

# # # #

 

Finn tried to hide his astonishment when the Regent introduced his oldest and dearest friend as the new Court Sorcerer.  “Any other secrets you’re keeping from me?”

 

Rose thought for a moment and said, “Some day, I’ll tell you about the birds and the frogs.”

 

Finn laughed.  “I had my suspicions about those two incidents.”

 

“Awwww, really?  Jess will be so upset.”

 

Finn’s laugh grew louder.  “Somehow I think she’ll survive.”

 

“Lots of changes,” Rose said.

 

“Yes,” Finn said.  “But you’re still here and I’m still here.  And D’Qar is protected by people who love her.”

 

“That she is.”  Rose looked up at the old grandfather clock in the hall. 

 

She nodded to it and Finn looked up.  “Oh!  Ummmmm…”

 

“Go,” Rose said, already trying to shove him down the hall.  “And tell him I said hello.”

 

**# # # #**

 

With all of his visitors, Poe’s favorite times of day were when the Prince would sneak away and come visit him.  Poe spied the clock on the table next to his bed and tried not to get too excited.  Some days, court business meant that the Prince couldn’t keep his late afternoon bedside appointment but…

 

Poe heard footsteps in the hall and he smiled.  _Thank goodness._

 

The Prince came in and surveyed Poe.  “How are you feeling?”

 

“Much better now,” Poe said with a suggestive grin.

 

Finn laughed and sat down next to his bed. 

 

“How are things in court today, your highness?”

 

Finn shook his head.  “Poe, how many times am I going to have to ask you to start calling me Finn?”

 

“It just…”  Poe blushed.  Years of training were hard to set aside, even for the man he loved.

 

“How about this,” Finn said.  “We haven’t really talked about it yet, and I think it’s important that we get things settled.”

 

Poe grew worried.  This sounded like official business.  He tried to sit up straight.  “What is it?”

 

“Well,” Finn said, trying his best to hide his smile.  “I’ll allow you to continue to call me highness until just after the coronation, but then, I must insist on another title.”

 

“Well, of course,” Poe said, “you’ll be King.  I’ll be calling you majesty.”

 

“Only in public,” Finn added with a twinkle in his eyes.

 

“Only in…”  Poe’s brain finally caught up.

 

“Yes, because the following week, I would very much like to make you my consort.”  Finn met Poe’s eyes.  “If you’ll have me, that is.”

 

“If I’ll…  Stars, are you asking me to marry you?”

 

“Yes,” Finn chuckled, “I am.”

 

“And you really mean it this time?”

 

Finn rolled his eyes.  “A man tries to do one little anti-love spell and you won’t let him forget it, will you?”

 

“Never,” Poe said.

 

“So,” Finn said, “is that a yes?”

 

“Yes!  Of course, yes.  I…”  There were tears in Poe’s eyes.  “I love you, your highness.” 

 

“Finn,” Finn insisted.

 

Poe laughed.  “I love you, _Finn_.”

 

“I love you too, Poe.”  The look of pure happiness on Poe’s face was one that Finn would remember until his dying day.

 

**# # # #**

 

Two months later, D’Qar celebrated Prince Finn’s 25th birthday with a huge celebration and a coronation, and while he was excited to become King, Finn was even more excited by the prospect of what happened next: his marriage to Sir Poe Dameron, now Prince Poe, consort to the King.

 

The streets were lined with people celebrating their marriage and the air was littered with the smell of flowers as well-wishers threw daisies and dandelions onto the royal couple as they made their way from the cathedral back to the castle.

 

Finn smiled as he watched his husband interacting with the people of D’Qar and for the first time in years, he looked forward to his reign—he had a good and loyal partner by his side, someone who loved D’Qar as much as he did.

 

Finn knew he could’ve handled being King on his own, but now, he felt secure in the knowledge that D’Qar had not one, but two people looking out for her.  As he turned and surveyed the rest of their entourage—Luke, Rose, Snap, Iolo, Karé, and Bastian—he thought to himself, _not just two.  A whole alliance ready to stand against the forces of evil._

 

**# # # #**

 

Three months later, the King and his new consort took their first official journey and traveled to Alderaan to witness the wedding of Princess Rey and Lady Jessika.

 

As the two ladies walked amongst the people of Alderaan, Poe leaned over and nudged his husband, “It gives you hope, doesn’t it?”

 

Finn nodded.  “The kingdoms will be defended and love will take the day.”

 

Poe laughed.  “That sounds like a speech, your majesty.”

 

Finn chuckled.  “Well, it’s true.”

 

“I’m not saying it’s not true.  I’m just saying it might be a bit much for this circumstance.”

 

“Always the critic,” Finn said, leaning over and indulging himself by nuzzling his husband’s neck.

 

“Mmmmm,” Poe agreed.  “Your harshest critic.”  His eyes fell shut and he was vaguely aware that if he and his husband continued in this way, they were going to draw some undo attention.  “Ummm, Majesty, ummmm….”

 

Finn laughed, placing one last kiss on Poe’s neck before moving back.  “Sometimes I forget myself.”

 

“Well, love did take the day, so…”

 

Finn swatted Poe’s arm.  “Behave you.”

 

“You’re telling me to behave?”  He hissed, “You’re the one who nearly sucked my neck off just now.”

 

A noble lady turned and eyed Poe suspiciously.  He then turned to Finn with wide eyes.  _See what you made me do?_

 

Finn laughed even louder.  “Just watch the wedding procession, love.”

 

Poe sighed and watched Jess and Rey in the streets below, far too happy to let Finn push any more of his buttons.

 

**# # # #**

 

King Finn and Prince Consort Poe ruled for many years.  They weathered the storm of Starkiller and eventually, with the help of the members of the Jedha Resistance, they rid the realms of the evil Snoke.  And once his dastardly influence was gone, all of the kingdoms (for the most part) lived in peace.

 

Over the years, the fame of King Finn and his Prince grew, and the people of D’Qar said that no two kinder, nor nobler rulers could be found in any of the kingdoms.

 

And lest the people of D’Qar worry over a worthy successor, Finn and Poe opened their castle and their hearts to a number of D’Qar’s orphans, and eventually, they were surrounded by nearly a dozen children and dozens more grandchildren.

 

And for many years, Poe never told anyone what he believed had happened during that fateful battle when Kylo Ren had nearly killed him, because he knew no one would believe him if he did.  But, one day, while playing out in the gardens, he told two of his grandchildren. 

 

“It was Finn,” he said. 

 

“You mean Grandda is a sorcerer,” one of them asked.

 

Poe nodded.

 

“He is,” the other asked, astonished.

 

Poe smiled.  “I was gone and he brought me back.”  He looked over to where Finn was playing with several of the other grandchildren.  “I’m not even sure he realizes,” he said.  “But I know.”  His smile got soft as he added, “It’s how he was able to cast that anti-love spell.”  He let out a small laugh.  “And break it too.”  He sighed, watching Finn burst into a wide smile as he played.  “He’s full of magic, your Grandda.”

 

The children weren’t sure if Grandpa was joking with them or not, and they soon found other ways of being distracted.  As they ran off, playing, Poe remembered the faith Baze had in Chirrut, and he smiled. 

 

_“You have no doubts?”_

_“When it comes to him, no.”_

 

Poe watched Finn, the love of his life, his one and only King, and he smiled.  _No doubts.  Not now.  Not ever._   And then he chuckled to himself, “Love will take the day, indeed.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and they lived happily ever after!
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks, everyone, for reading this! Thank you for all of the wonderful comments and kudos! I've truly appreciated all the love!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> As always, I appreciate every comment and kudo I get.


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